


Bonds

by UlisaBarbic



Category: Gummi Bears (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Magic, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-08 11:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 54
Words: 292,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11080689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlisaBarbic/pseuds/UlisaBarbic
Summary: A cowrite between myself and Jade Griffin. The sequel to "Growing Up,"Cubbi Gummi is now finally achieving his dream of training to be a knight, under none other than Captain Sir Plucki himself! However, while the gummi race has won its victory against their enemies, their greatest threat may come from the least likely place imaginable. However, as life as taught a young Cubbi, you sometimes find your greatest strengths in the most unlikely places as well...





	1. Chapter 1

Cubbi sighed deeply and as soon as the door closed, he waited ten minutes and then turned on his side lamp. He knew he was being ridiculous but at the same time, a nagging feeling of doubt was buried at the back of his mind. What if the thoughts and feelings he got in his dreams came true? He would have thought a second war was impossible but it had _certainly_ happened.  
  
Cubbi had been in Gummadoon for almost a month. He had visited the Glen once during that time, for a day or so. But now that he was starting to adjust he hardly ever got homesick. Plucki was great. He was so patient and encouraging; Cubbi could not have asked for a better mentor. And because he was in training, his days were pretty easy, compared to the adult knights.  
  
He'd wake up at eight when Plucki came in to tell him it was time to get up. After breakfast, he'd have until noon to do whatever, except on the first, middle and last days of the week. On those days, he and the other squires and paiges would go to tutoring from eight thirty to noon. There was more to being a knight than physical talent after all.   
  
Cubbi was learning all the rules and subjects he needed to know. It wasn't too bad actually. The worst part was reading because languages had never been his strong point. But his work load was light. On those days, Plucki or one of the other main knights, Blastus or Gumlittle would be there when he got out, leading him and the others back. In a few months, they said, they could do it alone.   
  
Cubbi knew he was the key reason Plucki or one of the other knights would show up. Unlike the other trainees who were born and raised in Gummadoon, the city was still new to Cubbi although he was learning. After that, he'd have lunch, and then have physical training for three hours. And then, Plucki'd 'release' him to go do whatever he wanted. For Cubbi, that meant finding Tavi and heading off to explore the city or the woods.  
  
Cubbi rolled his eyes mentally. But because Plucki was in a sense his 'guardian' now, he had a strict bedtime and curfew. In by seven, in bed by nine. It was annoying but Cubbi tolerated it. He wouldn't dare tell Plucki he didn't wanna go to sleep.  
  
But he didn't…the dreams…  
  
Cubbi bit his lip. The dreams had been there ever since the end of the war, almost four weeks now. Cubbi tried to sleep but each dream was always the same…always. If anything as the nights went by, they grew more intense. Cubbi, finally, had given up after about a week. For the past two weeks, he would wait until Plucki left after making sure he was in bed and then he'd do whatever he could to pass the time. Whether it be reading, coloring or anything, he'd keep at it until the sun came up. Only then, would he collapse onto his bed for about three to three and a half hours of sleep.   
  
Although he was exhausted, he kept up the façade during the day. No way would he tell his Captain he was too chicken to sleep. Gum, what kind of knight was afraid to go to bed?   
  
Cubbi got up slowly and walked into his bathroom. He studied his face.   
  
He looked ragged, and exhausted. He'd taken some magic cream from Tavi's collection and used it to hide the bags under his eyes. It faded about five minutes after his bedtime so he reapplied it when the sun came up so he wouldn't look so horrible. Cubbi knew this wasn't good or healthy but he honestly didn't know what to do. He'd tried conquering his dreams and fears but without success.   
  
And he was _not_ about to tell Plucki about the dreams.  
  


* * *

  
**_Gummadoon Training Field_**  
  
"Hey, Cub, watch it!"  
  
Maintaining his balance after that exclamation, as his staff nearly smacked into Martinni's head, was impossible. Cubbi fell off the beam, landing in the hay which lay below.  
  
Angry, he yelled back, "Don't call me 'Cub'!"  
  
"Hold on now. What's this?" Gumlittle rushed forward to help Cubbi up, a bit roughly, as the pink gummi was acting out.  
  
"Nothin'..."  
  
"No, not 'nothin'. You apologize to Martinni."  
  
Cubbi eyed his opponent for today's lesson, then hung his head. "Sorry, Martin. Didn't mean to lose it."  
  
The other squire in training gave a nod and Gumlittle led Cubbi away.  
  
"What's with you? You never had a short fuse before." the knight asked, pulling Cubbi to a bench. His tone kind and not harsh, Cubbi still had trouble admitting anything was wrong.  
  
"Nothing, Gumlittle. Just... lost my cool."  
  
"Well, I'd advise you get it back, and quick, or next time you'll find a mop in your hands instead of a staff for the day." He added a raise of one brow to the mild warning and left Cubbi to return to the other squires and paiges. He was the littlest, but not the youngest. Toni was his age, too. And--  
  
"Sir Cubbi!!" Tavi ran up, nearly throttling him as she latched her arms in a great bear hug around his neck.  
  
"Argkk! Giddoff, Tavi!" The guys teased him enough as it was, hanging around a girl who looked about the same color. Good thing she got those weird streaks in her hair.  
  
"Hey! That's no way to talk to friends!" But she released him and ran off.  
  
"Cubbi and Tavi, sittin' in a tree!" started Corvi, the eldest. Not to be mean, but the guys _loved_ to joke around. And he had to admit, it was a little better, being one of the guys and getting teased, instead of everybody walking on eggshells around him and half bowing to him like he was a prince or Gum herself; like they did the first week he was here. Sure he saved the day, partway, with Sunni and Buddi's help. Okay, so they saved the world. Again. He just wanted to be a knight, and the sooner he could do that, the sooner he could rid himself of the nightmares! He'd suffer with teases to get to his goal. Smirking, he turned his gaze up at Corvi as he swung himself back up to face Martinni. "So? I heard you _kissed_ Maldairi behind the corral!"  
  
Corvi blanched and shut up. Maldairi was Councilor Berrybottom's granddaughter and he could be overprotective of her interests. She was certainly too young for Corvi! Cubbi grinned and crouched, his head clear finally to _really_ show Martinni what he could do!  
  


* * *

  
**_Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
"Tavi?"  
  
"Oh!" the gummi girl stopped, after having nearly run into Sir Plucki. "Er.. Yes?"  
  
The captain frowned. "Have you noticed Cubbi acting... unusual? Unhappy, depressed, out of sorts?"  
  
"Oh... Not really." It was only a half-lie. She could always cheer him out of it, so she never really _saw_ him acting depressed. Not for very long. Grinning, she trotted off  
  
Plucki wasn't quite happy with her reply. Something was up, and he, as Captain of the Gummadoon Knights, had a right to know what their newest trainee, had bothering his mind of late. He thought the cub had put the last few months behind him. The Glen was restored, Zorlock was gone for good, and an age of peace reigned between Glen, Barbic, and Royal clans, and also the humans of this land. A Gummitopia someone called it that first beautiful morning where banquets honored The Three.   
  
And yet... So much death. No one could erase blood stains on sand you could see with your heart, if not your eyes. Nothing could drown out the voice of dying loved ones in battle, nor the mockery of your evil foe as he thought he had won it all, as he swore to destroy all you held dear. Nothing could stop that cacophony of disillusionment and call for atonement. Nothing, except those pressing the future onward.   
  
He'd hoped this progressive march, and Cubbi's own desire of knighthood, would alleviate the deep unworthiness and self-despair that had so sunk Cubbi originally, and nearly lost them their existence. Had enough time passed? Enough forgiveness met? If not, it was Plucki's goal to cast aside doubt, strengthen resolve, and lead the healing march. Aldi had wanted this. He believed it with all his heart. This was not replacing Aldi, but helping another cub with Aldi's permission. He silently thanked his deceased son and started out to inspect the performance of those who so looked up to him.

* * *

  
  
**_Cubbi’s Bedroom, Gummadoon_**  
  
It was nine at night and Cubbi looked up; it was bedtime, Cubbi was still not comfortable about the night but by his heightened senses, he knew someone was coming to enter his room and a second later, he saw Plucki open his door.  
  
"Hi Sir Plucki."  Plucki still had to get Cubbi adjusted to talking to him on a comfortable level.  
  
"Cubbi, you can call me Plucki, you have to get used to being comfortable around me."  Cubbi looked at Plucki and nodded "Cubbi I came up to ask you something."    
  
Cubbi tensed up inside but he hid it well from his mentor, "Yes, Plucki, what do you want?"  Cubbi only hoped the cream would last out during this time, cause if it didn't he would never get away with the fact that he had only been getting three to three and a half hours of sleep a night.    
  
"Cubbi, I'm concerned; I was speaking with Gumlittle and Blastus recently and they told me… as of recently your temper has been going off sooner then it did a while back; is there something wrong Cubbi?"    
  
Cubbi knew if he lied, he'd be caught, but he knew the best way to get away with what had happened was not to tell all the details, only give him glimpses of what had been happening and that would get him by for now. It wasn't lying per say, just not telling the whole truth. His conscience could live with that. "Oh, I guess 'cause the other pages and squires have been teasing me about my friendship with Tavi; I guess it just built up to the point where I couldn't hold it no more."    
  
Plucki looked at the cub, sitting on the bed a moment himself, "Has it been that bad? They all know better. I can speak with them--"  
  
Cubbi shook his head, "No Plucki, it's not a big deal. I guess I let it get to me. It's like when Sunni would tease me when we were a little bit younger."  
  
Plucki smiled, "Well that's just a rivalry because you two've always been together; you're almost like brother and sister now."    
  
Cubbi nodded "She is. I guess it's just the way the other pages and squires are letting me into their world I guess. Welcome to squirehood!" He added, "I'm sorry that I lost my temper."   
  
Plucki nodded "Well, remember you have to learn to control that temper of yours or as the others said you'll be holding a mop and not a weapon for that day's training."  Cubbi nodded as Plucki walked out after telling Cubbi good night.  Cubbi sighed heavily. That was too close.

* * *

  
**_Squires’ Tutoring Hall, Gummadoon_**  
  
Cubbi drummed an abstract design on his desk with his fingers. It was back to tutoring for today and Cubbi had never felt so exhausted in his life. He tried to focus on what Lady Ivori was saying. She was a sweet lady, young, about her late twenties and kind as could be. She always tried to include all her students in their studies and Cubbi was especially fond of her.  
  
But life was dragging on for Cubbi. He had thought that the fear couldn't hit him during the light. But it had. While he had been getting the limited amount of sleep he could get before Plucki woke him up, the nightmares had struck. He was out of options. He couldn't sleep. He would just…he wasn't going to sleep. He couldn't. His plan was hopefully that once his body was sleep deprived enough he could get just sleep with no dreams. But even if that didn't happen, he was too terrified to go back to sleep. Every time the dreams came, they were more vivid…  
  
Cubbi shuddered internally. They never dulled. He always heard that horrible magician's voice, over and over again, telling him that he was no longer in control, that his body was no longer his. He always saw the dead lying still and cold, all over again. He always saw those he cared about fall dead right before him and when he turned to face their killer, he found only his reflection and their blood on his hands.  
  
It horrified him. More and more so with each passing night, it was wearing him down. He was fighting to concentrate on anything. He was faltering in training. He knew Plucki saw it but so far he hadn't said anything. Cubbi wondered how long _that'd_ last. He was trying, Gum knew he was and he figured that was his saving grace so far. And as far as he knew, no one knew he wasn't getting sleep. Tavi's cream hid a great deal of it. But Cubbi knew nosy Tavi. She was starting to pry. If anyone found out, she would…  
  
"Cubbi?"  
  
The cub sat up immediately, his eyes alert. He felt the other snickering at him and he felt his cheeks burn red for a brief moment. But Lady Ivori just gave him her gentle smile.  
  
"Could you read that last passage out loud for us, Cubbi?"  
  
"I…sure…"  
  
Corvi chuckled, "Wanna do it before we turn fifty this time?"  
  
"Corvi Gummi!" Ivori snapped at him and he shut up but the others snickered. Cubbi knew it was all in fun but it still hurt. He'd never admit it, he just went along with the crowd but his reading ability was always a tender spot. He knew he wasn't as fast or quick a reader as the others. Even the younger ones seemed to catch on faster. He always saved his reading homework for late because he never wanted Plucki to figure out it took him almost twice as long as the others. Bad enough to be too chicken to sleep…he wasn't gonna tell Plucki he was stupid too.  
  
Cubbi stalled quite a bit but he stumbled through the paragraph, with each pause, he felt his cheeks burn although all Ivori gave him were hints of encouragement. Even the other squires and paiges stopped their snickering but Cubbi still felt self-conscious. He'd never felt that way when he'd been home-tutored, with Zummi. He supposed he'd just have to get used to it.  
  
"Very good, Cubbi. Much better than last time. Corvi, will you continue?"  
  
Cubbi hid his face in his hands, laying his head on his desk. Everything…everything, was everything against him…  
  
A sharp pain in his leg brought him back to the present. Turning, he saw that Toni had kicked him and that Ivori was scolding Corvi and Flynn. They'd started to throw things at the board and her back…they never did that! Sweet Gum, Blastus was their mentor and he was _very_ strict on respect, if nothing else. Toni leaned over and whispered in Cubbi's ear,  
  
"They distracted her. You fell asleep about five minutes ago! You owe them. You know what Plucki'd do if he knew you fell asleep?"  
  
Cubbi didn't want to even think about it. Sweet Gum ABOVE! He'd fallen asleep! What if the nightmares had come here?! Cubbi was petrified of that…he had to fight the sleep harder, that was all…  
  
"All right," Ivori was talking again and she sounded agitated. "Class dismissed for today. Corvi, Flynn, your mentor leads you all back today, does he not?"  
  
Both cubs winced but nodded.  
  
"I want to speak to him."  
  
Cubbi winced himself. He knew Blastus well enough to know that it took a lot to make him angry and that he was usually laid back but that _respect_ was big with him. He gave Corvi and Flynn a grateful look and they just mouthed,"You sooo owe us."  
  
Ivori led the boys outside, to wait. She stood by Corvi and Flynn, no doubt keeping an eye on them. Cubbi stayed by the wall, rubbing his eyes when someone grabbed him arm. Turning, he found himself face to face with a familiar girl.  
  
"Tavi!"  
  
"Cubbi, what's with you?"  
  
"What do you-"  
  
"Don't lie. I'm a sorceress in training, don't forget."  
  
"So that makes you a mind reader?"  
  
"No," she touched Cubbi's face, underneath one of his eyes, "But I know my blending lotion when I see it."  
  
"Tavi-"  
  
"You aren't sleeping, are you?"  
  
"TAVI!" he hissed.  
  
"I know you Cubbi Gummi! You're usually so full of spunk you could be my brother. And you fell asleep in class; number one pupils usually try to not do that-"  
  
"You were spying on me?!"  
  
"Tell me the truth…am I your best friend or not?"  
  
"I…well, yeah but-"  
  
"Then tell me!"  
  
Tavi was put ill at ease by her conversation with the Gummadoon Captain. Plucki generally didn't inquire about things that he did unless he noticed them and it bugged him. And to some extent, Tavi's sorceress senses were becoming fine tuned. And there was also the simplest explanation of all: Cubbi was her best friend, the sole gummi she could honestly say she trusted with her life and she was worried.  
  
"Fine, no I'm not sleeping. I haven't slept well for almost a month and starting tonight I plan on not sleeping at all, happy?!"  
  
Tavi blinked. "Cubbi…" she didn't have to ask why. She saw and felt his fear.  
  
"Tavi, please…don't tell anyone…please…promise me."  
  
"Cubbi…"  
  
"As a friend, promise me…"  
  
"All right…I promise. But-"  
  
Whatever she'd been about to say was never said.  
  
Sir Blastus had arrived.

* * *

  
**_Cubbi’s Bedroom, Gummadoon_**  
  
Cubbi's owing Flynn and Corvi started at dinner, with forking over his dessert. And begging for another one from the cook. He could have used the extra sugar to keep awake, but he did both with the same trudging determination he'd adopted for the past week. Just get through life. It'll get easier soon. Soon. Just get through this night, this hour, this minute, this second...  
  
"Cubbi!"  
  
"Don't yell!" He howled back, plugging his ears. Tavi stood in his doorway while he sat on his bed studying.  
  
"I had to. You didn't hear me!"  
  
"Fine. Whaddayawant? I gotta study."  
  
"How long have you been using my magic cream?"  
  
"I dunno. Why?"  
  
"Cubbi, it's dangerous to use that stuff too much!"  
  
"But I need it. And quiet down or somebody'll hear."  
  
"Good." she muttered, grabbing for the pot stashed in his drawer.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
She'd darted out the door. Fear spurred Cubbi to action. It didn't dawn on him that it would look weird chasing Tavi for some magic face cream. He could only think of what would happen if he _didn't_ have it!  
  
Tavi was fast. She liked to race the boys and frequently she won. But Cubbi was driven and desperate. And sneaky. He cornered her in the hall behind the kitchen. A dead end.  
  
"Tavi, give it back. C'mon. I thought you were my friend."  
  
"I am, which is why I gotta take it. It could hurt you. You don't wanna look like an old bear when you're Corvi's age, do ya?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then let me go. I'll hide it so you won't be tempted."  
  
"Tavi, please. Just let me use it one more time. I'll figure something out tomorrow but I NEED it tonight!" He made a grab for it but she clutched it tightly to her body.  
  
And then she started whispering.  
  
"Tavi?..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Cubbi, but I hafto." She thrust the little pot into the air. "Dumisumappumear!"  
  
The spell was spoken so fast, Cubbi barely understood her words. The pot vanished, and a loud boom sounded throughout the castle.  
  
"Um... It wasn't supposed to do that." Tavi shook her head, her ears ringing from the blast of sound.  
  
They didn't hear the footsteps but saw clearly the upset and concerned faces of adults.  
  
"Tavi Gummi! What did I tell you about practicing magic unsupervised?!" Her Aunt Toffi, Councilor Wooddale, planted stern hands on her hips.  
  
"Uh... Not to?" she tried weakly.  
  
"Cubbi, what's going on?" Gumlittle had also come at the commotion.  
  
"Er... Well..." Cubbi would have glared at Tavi, cuz it was all her fault, but it wasn't, and they were both in trouble now. Biiiigg trouble. Especially Cubbi. He was in too much trouble to even consider, and it hadn't even started to boil over yet. But it would. His stomach twisted into knots and suddenly, dinner didn't feel so good. Not good at all.  
  
Cubbi felt weak at the knees; he knew if Gumlittle was here then soon after, Plucki would be down to see what had happened.  Tavi looked at Cubbi, she had not meant to cause trouble but she couldn't eactly state that she was sorry. Just sorry that it was happening THIS way.    
  
Cubbi now was at a loss for words as to what he could do to get out of this. Soon, Cubbi's biggest fear would be known. After his dreams, it was an upset Plucki.  Cubbi had only seen Plucki mad once since he had been staying in Gummadoon and one other time, when he was found by the Gummadoon knights when Gummadoon appeared once before.  Cubbi was never in a hurry to see his mentor's anger.  He knew once Wooddale told him what had happen, he for sure was in for it.    
  
Wooddale crossed her arms, "We're waiting."  
  
Tavi winced, "We were just playing Auntie."  
  
"Pretty loud game," Gumlittle commented. He was looking at Cubbi though. The young squire eyed Tavi,  
  
"_She_ was loud."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"You're the one that swiped it."  
  
"Tavi Gummi, what is he talking about?" Tavi now saw what Cubbi was doing and she smiled,  
  
"Aw, Cubbi and I were just playing this little game. I swiped something and he was trying to get it back from me. And I-"  
  
"She made it disappear," Cubbi chimed in. He smirked, "Cheater."  
  
Tavi rolled her eyes and then both cubs turned to the adults, waiting to see if they'd buy it.   
  
Gumlittle felt this was a bit odd but he didn't question their story. He looked at Wooddale who nodded. Gumlittle cleared his throat,  
  
"Well, you two don't need to be making such a ruckus. You'll wake the whole castle."   
  
Cubbi glanced at Tavi,"She did it."  
  
Tavi blushed, "Okay, so I'm still rusty with the magic…I confess! You don't hafta shove it down my throat!"  
  
Wooddale narrowed her eyes, again, "Are you even supposed to be _using_ magic without me or one of the other wizards around?" She quirked a brow and Tavi said,"No, Aunt Toffi."  
  
The sorceress grabbed her niece by the upper arm and slowly led her off, saying, "We need to have a talk, young lady."  
  
Cubbi watched her go, still a little angry when Gumlittle clasped his shoulder. "Lad, I think you and I have one more place to go…"  
  


* * *

  
  
"It was just a game, Plucki."  
  
"That's not why I'm disappointed, lad." He said simply, looking down at the small cub that'd been shown to him by Gumlittle when he had headed in at the loud noise. When he'd been informed of what had happened, he'd been shocked but not too badly. After all, Cubbi was a cub. In fact, the Gummi Knight was rather amused by this little tale. "I'll never get angry because of you playing. You're cubs. It's the time you chose to do so that disappoints me."  
  
Cubbi sighed; Plucki was so _good_  at guilt trips! "Because it was night, right?"  
  
Plucki nodded, "Not just night, it's late lad. In fact, as soon as we're done I want you to get a bath and get into bed."  
  
Cubbi just nodded; he already had a plan for keeping up the façade. He just had to fulfill it carefully. But first, he had to get through this lecture of Plucki's which was a killer. He wasn't boring but he knew how to zero in on your guilt. Cubbi would have much rather had that type of lecture than this type. It was also the first time that Plucki had lectured him since he'd become his squire.   
  
He already made up his mind to avoid it again if he could.  
  
"I don't mind you playing with Tavi. In fact, Councilor Wooddale asked me to thank you for her a few days ago."  
  
Cubbi looked up, "For what?"  
  
Plucki sat down in the chair by Cubbi's bed, where the cub was perched. "For being her friend. Cubbi, Tavi and Lucki were extremely close siblings, almost like twins. We were all worried at how she would handle her brother's…passing." He chose his words carefully, knowing the small cub he was talking to was still sensitive on the memories of the war. "You've helped her more than you know, lad."  
  
Cubbi shrugged, "She's nice…when she isn’t swiping my things!"  
  
"I thought you told me it was a game."  
  
"It is…but it's nice to have a heads up." The cub caught Plucki's glance and said, "I promise we'll keep it down at night from now on, okay?"  
  
Plucki got up, smiling. "That's all I ask. Go ahead and play but try and do your quieter games at night." Cubbi nodded as Plucki walked out. The cub waited a few more moments before grasping a small jar and disappearing down the hall. He was as quiet as possible, knowing that the adult knights would be up for quite a while yet. Slipping down the back set of stairs, he vanished into the library, where one of the older magicians, an elderly gummi named Nanci greeted him.   
  
Nanci smiled and turned, greeted her visitor. Her voice was old, shaky but kind.  
  
"Well, hello there young squire. What brings you here?"  
  
"I wanted to know if you could grant me a favor."  
  
"I will certainly see if I may, young one. What troubles your heart?"  
  
"Well, uh…I need to get a gift for Grammi. I was wondering if you could make any of that face cream that hides the blemishes on your face."  
  
"Oh, such a sweet gift young squire. And quite simple to make. Have you a jar?"  
  
The cub handed her his ivory jar. She smiled and muttered a few words he could not catch before handing it back to him.   
  
"There you go, little one."  
  
"Thanks," the cub beamed, knowing that his face could melt anyone and ran off. Sure enough, he heard Nanci mutter about the "cute lad." He hated being known as cute but he'd use it to his advantage if he could. His prize in hand, he ran back up the stairs. He had a way now, just hold on a bit longer; all he had to do was stay awake.

* * *

  
  
That proved much harder than he had ever anticipated. The cream worked wonders but every day Tavi looked at him with pure worry on her face. She approached him a few times and managed to get out of him that he had a new cream. He did promise her that he would stop using it at the end of the week and she seemed okay with that. But she still watched him with pain in her eyes, pain of worry. Now that the end of the week had come, she kept looking at him with a more intense expression.  
  
Cubbi was having a harder time hiding it as well. His appetite had increased but the adults shrugged it off. Plucki had told him that it was probably a growth spurt. So Cubbi used that excuse. However, it was tutoring that was killing him. He had taken to pinching himself every half hour, to make sure he was awake. He knew Corvi and Flynn would not help him again. Blastus had made them do cleaning chores for two days instead of training and write a lengthy letter of apology to Ivori.  
  
And now, the exhaustion was in full spin. Today of all days. The squires trained against one another for most of the week but today, on the last day of the week, they went up against their mentors for a skills analysis to see what skills they needed to sharpen. He was hanging in as well as he could but he was failing and he knew it. Luckily, Plucki had not yet said anything.  
  
But with a duck under Plucki's latest blow, the exhaustion took its toll. His knees buckled, his eyes shut and he fell off, unconscious. Plucki, alarmed, jumped right down, picking the cub up. He was already starting to come to.  
  
"Lad, are you all right? You're not ill are you?"  
  
"N…no…I'm fine…"  
  
"No, he's not!"  
  
Cubbi felt his heart stop as he recognized Tavi storm onto the field over to the two. He forced himself onto his elbows and hissed,"Tavi Gummi, you promised me!"  
  
"I don't care! You're going to kill yourself!" By now, she had Sir Plucki's full attention. She ignored Cubbi and ran over so she standing right by the Gummi Captain. "Don't listen to him, Plucki. I made him a promise that I wouldn't tell but I think I should."  
  
"Plucki, don't-"  
  
"Hush, Sir Cubbi." The knight's words were not cruel but they were stern and firm. He gave a nod to Tavi, "Go on, lass."  
  
"For the past month, Cubbi's only been sleepin' for three hours a night and he hasn't slept at ALL this entire week! He's gonna kill himself!"


	2. Chapter 2

Why? Why'd she hafta say that? He was too tired to even speak his complaints now. Only mortified beyond belief. Everyone heard Tavi's blurt. All the squires, all the paiges, all the knights in the courtyard. Cubbi sagged. Exhaustion coated him like Grammi's molasses taffylickers on their sticks... He slept.

* * *

  
  
It was worse than before. Gum, how could it get _worse_?! But it was. Blood, the smell of decay, himself alone sitting on a throne of bodies and skeletons. Smiling, laughing gleefully at the massacre at his feet. He was Zorlock!!  
  
"NNOOOOOoo!!" Bolt upright in bed, sweat pouring off his face, eyes wild with fear and desperation, Cubbi reentered the waking world.  
  
A hand settled on his back. Cubbi jerked away.  
  
"Easy, lad. Everything's fine."  
  
"No it's not! Everything's horrible!" He kicked off the covers, ran to the window. Just before sunset... Why couldn't it be day? Why couldn't the nightmares at least let him get a bit of sleep in before... before the torture.  
  
Plucki left his bedside chair as soon as the cub had risen. Afraid he'd do something wild, the gummi captain was keeping a close eye on him.  
  
"It's all wrong. I was supposed to come here and train to be a great knight like you, Plucki, but now everybody knows I'm scared to even sleep! I've tried-- Gum, I've tried!-- but they won't go away and I _should_ be able to control my emotions. Right, Plucki? Isn't that what you taught me?" Desperately, he turned on his mentor. Surely, if anybody would know what to do, it'd be Plucki.  
  
The knight turned a resolute but solemn face his way. "You've learned a lot here, but I've failed somehow. You should have known it was alright to come to me. Cubbi... How could anyone question your bravery? You tried to conquer these inner demons by yourself. Not even I could do that. I needed help. And I asked for it. Did you think I'd stop training you if I knew you were plagued by nightmares?" For once, Plucki looked lost.  
  
Cubbi couldn't answer. He knew, but he couldn't say it. Plucki'd be crushed.  
  
He didn't have to say it. "I see... Cubbi, I've been wondering if it's for the best that you stay with me, or whether you should have all of us at your disposal. Perhaps you'd benefit by more time with Blastus, or Ramsei--"  
  
"Plucki... Aw, I KNEW this would happen! No! I don't want them. I want _you_! I... I _need_  YOU. So... I'm asking you now, for help. Please. Don't   
leave me." Plucki had seen him cry before. Why did he fight it so much when all he wanted to do was curl up in somebody's arms and bawl his eyes out?  
  
Clenching his own jaw to stop a sudden flood of pride and tears, Plucki stepped forward and took the young gummi in a strong embrace. "You are growing up, Cubbi. And I'll never leave your aid as long as you have need of me." Did Cubbi know? How much he felt he'd let his own son down. How he'd failed so with Aldi... He would NOT fail Cubbi. By Gum, he would NOT!  
  
"So.. Um..." Cubbi pulled free gently. "You have any suggestions for me sleeping easier?"  
  
"Unfortunately, I don't. Perhaps if you talked--"  
  
"No." On this, Cubbi was strongly opposed. "I... I don't want you, or anybody, to know what's in there. Just.. just make it go away. Please."  
  
"Well... " Plucki scratched the back of his head, thinking. "I was reading just before you woke. Perhaps if I read to you...?"  
  
"I haven't tried that..."  
  
"When you're ready to try sleeping, come and get me. I'll be waiting." Sensing maybe Cubbi needed a bit more time alone, Plucki left him be.  
  
Staring out on the courtyard, the cub saw Corvi and Flynn practicing under an evening haze. Cubbi shivered. The haze was like out of the dreams...  
  
Would anything be the same again? It felt like an eternity since he'd slept. Really slept. And walked among his fellow gummies and peers like he was one of them, and not an outsider or... or a danger. Even now, what were they saying about his fall? About what Tavi said? Calling him worthless? Trouble? Weak? A coward and a baby? A--  
  
Somebody knocked on his door.  
  
Cubbi kept quiet.  
  
The someone knocked again.  
  
"Who... Who is it?" His voice shook at first. He stilled it.  
  
"Martinni. I brought you dinner... if you're hungry."  
  
Martinni? Maybe Plucki sent him up.  
  
Cubbi, smiling, pulled the door open. "Starved!"  
  
Martinni came in and set the tray on Cubbi's bed. He stood nervously about, hands behind his back and eyes always on the pink squire. Cubbi didn't like it.  
  
"C'mon. Sit if ya want."  
  
"N-no thanks. I'd better go..."  
  
"Martinni... Wait!" But he was already out the door.  
  
Martinni was afraid. Of him? Of course of him. Wonder which loved one was taken from Martinni because of _me_! Cubbi thought savagely of himself. I   
was the cause of it all. Wasn't strong enough.  
  
No longer of an appetite, Cubbi pushed the tray aside. Still not satisfied, he picked up his cupcake and threw it, watched it spatter against the wall. Waste. It was all a waste. Wasted effort on him, as he wasted so many lives because HE couldn't do it. He couldn't do it...  
  
In a fit of remorse and overgrown guilt, Cubbi caved into a pile of sobs.  
  
Plucki. I need you! I need you _here_! Grammi, Gruffi, Zummi, Tummi, Sunni, Gusto! I need you all! Why can't I say it?!!

* * *

  
Tavi couldn't go to dinner. What if Cubbi showed up? He already hated her forever for blabbing probably. And... at dinner, she'd have to hold back her tears. It was hard. Being strong for Aunt Toffi and the others on the council. They talked to her already about what she did, what had happened, what might happen later on. But she'd do it again and all over because it helped them win the war. Even though...  
  
No. I can't think about it. If I do, I'll never stop crying and what if somebody found me then, huh? Nobody wants to be around a girl who cries all the time. Just because she lost her entire family...  
  
She couldn't win. Couldn't beat it. She knew what Cubbi had to be feeling, cuz she felt it too. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Why couldn't SHE save her brother, her mother and father? What more done could have saved everybody? Why couldn't Zorlock have taken her? She'd have killed herself to save everybody. She would have!  
  
The tears didn't start small. They were always huge trickling waves of salty wet and she hated crying, hated that she couldn't stop. Tucked in a dark corner, knees bucked to her chin, Tavi Gummi wept for those gone, wept for her big mouth and her caring heart, for not being good enough in magic to save everybody, for being unable to help Cubbi, and not stop crying! She just wanted all of it-- all her pain and anger and everything bad-- to be balled up into a... a raincloud or something, and just blow away! Leave her alone! Leave her completely!  
  
A breeze flitted in through her niche. She smelled wet in the air, on the wind. Opening her eyes quickly, Tavi didn't get a chance to peek out a window. The storm was inside the hallway! Great dark clouds sputtering rain and hurling a brewing wind. Tavi watched, fascinated and calmed, as the tempest grew. Had she... She'd made THAT??

* * *

  
Cubbi looked at the cupcake in tears as it slid down the wall slowly; as it did, the icing left a trail.  Cubbi watched this as he looked down at the tray on his bed, then he grabbed his pillow and started to quietly cry into it.  Cubbi didn't know how Wooddale could survive having Zorlock in her, with little effect and he was in so much pain from the visions that Zorlock gave him when he was being controlled by him.  Why was he made to see so much hate, pain and death, why wouldn't these visions leave him?  
  
Tavi looked at the small storm in the hallway and wondered how she created that in her state of sadness.  She knew a lot about gummi magic, but she had to admit to herself that she was still a student, in the sense that she still had a lot to learn about using magic.  As she looked at the storm, she stepped out of her room and the rain made her hair fall into her eyes.  Since the day she had got the medallion from Lady Bane and it absorbed into her, she had not looked at the streak in her hair.  She had looked at it the day it happened and accidentally did at times, but this was the first time she had looked at it since that day; the first real good look at it. As she looked at her streaked hair, she then felt a wave of tears come again as the bad memories of battle came back to her.  
  
"Cubbi please, I know your scared but I need you now; please forgive me."  Tavi said to herself as she looked about.  At that moment, the storm stopped as suddenly as it appeared and she looked about then to saw her Aunt Toffi.    
  
Wooddale smiled, "I see you seemed to have learned something else about gummi magic, Tavi."    
  
Tavi's eyes welled up and she ran to her aunt, holding her around the waist, "Auntie, why did my family have to die, why couldn't it'd been me, why did they die and I survive?"  Wooddale was at a loss of words as she held her niece; she knew she had to help her during this time of need.  

* * *

  
Cubbi held his knees close to his chest, melancholy. He knew that he was acting like a baby, but  he was so scared and hopeless, he didn't know who to go to or what to do.  Why were they being so nice to him after what he did, even though he wasn't' in control of his actions due to Zorlock....it was HIS body! why couldn't he control what he did?  
  
That guilt was more powerful than anything else. The dreams were horrifying but no more horrifying than his guilt, that horrible, terrible guilt. He hated himself. He honestly and truly believed that he hated himself. How could he have let Zorlock do such horrors, such terrible things? He was still in _his_ body! Why hadn't he been able to fight off the force? To fight off that evil? That evil that had inspired such pain hurt and fear that he saw reflected in the other gummies' faces. Martinni had been a fierce reminder.  
  
He had just gotten the other squires to accept him. Now, with the news of these dreams, he no doubt had lost their friendship. There was fear in their eyes for him now; he could see it. He hated it. He didn't want them looking on him with fear! He felt enough fear in his dreams. Martinni and the other squires and paiges…they were friends and he had _finally_ started to feel familiar with them, to feel comfortable. Now, the facts about his dreams were out. He bet that _they_ didn't have those problems.  
  
He growled under his breath. Why did Tavi hafta open her mouth?! If she had just kept her mouth shut, then….then…  
  
Then, Plucki still woulda found out and Cubbi knew it. He hated admitting it though. He dreaded sleeping but his body wouldn't last much longer and he was starting to feel it. His eyes were heavy as they could be; his limbs felt oddly like lead, his heart beat oddly, almost like it was tired. His entire body felt weird. His skin felt like it was crawling underneath his fur. His hands shook like leaves. But he forced himself to stay awake. He couldn't sleep. The fear was still way too close, way too real.  
  
He sat down on his bed and just drank his juice. He couldn't eat but the juice he could stomach for now. He looked at the pink stain on the wall and having nothing else to do; he rose and cleaned it off before sitting down again. The meal was hardly unappetizing. In fact, it was one of his favorite meals: cheese pasta with vegetable and meat stew and a biscuit. But his appetite was not there today. He set it on his side table and lay on his stomach, slowly nursing his mug of sweet juice. He couldn't go get Plucki yet, he wasn't ready…not yet.  
  


* * *

  
"Shh,"  
  
"It's not fair!"  
  
"I know."  
  
Tavi buried her face into her aunt's chest. The tears and pain had finally overwhelmed her. She was screaming at herself to stop crying, to buck up and to pull away but she couldn't. Sweet Gum, she missed the feeling of arms around her. She missed her mother, her father but most of all, she missed her brother. Lucki had been her best friend in the world, even though he was her older brother. They had still argued, as all siblings did but they got along remarkably well. Her parents' deaths cut deep enough but the loss of her brother was like a dagger to her heart. She knew it was horrible but she found herself saying that her parents' deaths she could handle but why did her brother have to be taken as well?  
  
And now, since she had told on Cubbi…  
  
"Cubbi hates me, doesn't he, Aunt Toffi."  
  
"No," she answered immediately, "He is a little upset but he'll recover from it. You were not in the wrong, Tavi."  
  
"I wasn't?"  
  
"No, my niece. In fact, Cubbi is very lucky to have a friend loyal enough to break her word."  
  
"But…I _gave_ him my word, isn't that wrong to break?"  
  
"Sometimes, it's necessary Tavi."  
  
"It…is?"  
  
"Of course,"  
  
"You mean, it's _okay_ to break a promise?"  
  
"Sometimes, child. Was Cubbi hurting himself or someone else?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"Then you did just fine."  
  
Tavi gave a nod and pulled away from her aunt, finally forcing her tears to stop. Her aunt didn't say anything, knowing how her niece could be. She merely nodded and said,  
"Why don't you get your bath and get ready for bed? I'll be in to tuck you in in a little bit."  
  
Tavi only nodded, surprised a bit that her aunt didn't mention the magic gone awry. But then, she supposed she'd mention it in the morning. In any event, she took her aunt's advice and got her bath and her nightclothes on. But she couldn't go to bed yet. Despite her aunt's reassurance, she had to get someone else's…she _had_ to talk to Cubbi!  
  
Cubbi sighed, looking over his storybooks. He didn't really know which one to select. He didn't want Plucki to think he was a baby after all. He admitted that as immature as the prospect sounded…he _did_ want to be read to. Grammi had been doing it up until the war…even in Ursalia; she'd pull out his storybooks at night and read to him. For the first few weeks, she'd even rocked him in a rocking chair. He didn’t deny, even to himself, that that had given him a comfort.   
  
"Cubbi?"  
  
The cub looked up and his eyes narrowed,  
  
"Whatta ya want Tavi?"  
  
"I wanted to…talk to you."  
  
"Well, my ears are open. Whatta ya want?"  
  
"I didn’t betray your trust for the heck of it, Cubbi!"  
  
"You embarrassed the heck out of me, Tavi!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Did you _have_ to announce it on the training field?"  
  
"You were killin' yerself out there! What would you have told Plucki when you collapsed if I hadn't said anything? You _really_ think Plucki woulda let ya just get right back on the field?"  
  
"I--"  
  
"Not in this lifetime! He'd had drug you to sick bay!"  
  
"Tavi--"  
  
"I'm not sorry about what I did…you were scarin' me... I just wanted you to know that I'm still your friend, even if you hate me."  
  
She turned to walk out; she'd said what she needed to say. She wanted Cubbi to tell her that he'd forgiven her, that he didn't hate her at least. She wanted that more than anything else. Her steps were slow, for that reason. She paused at the door, her violet nightdress fluttering a bit in the hall. She turned around, her eyes still a little wet from that overwhelming wave of sorrow.   
  
Cubbi was silent for a bit. His anger for Tavi was still harsh and he still was beyond humiliated from what she did. His cheeks burned at that mere memory of it. He could still feel everyone' s eyes on him, hear everyone's audible gasps at what she said. But despite all that, he didn't hate her. He never could. He could see why she'd acted like she did even if he didn't wanna admit it. But he wasn't ready to forgive her yet but still…  
  
"I don't hate you Tavi."  
  
Tavi didn’t make a reaction to that except to sigh in relief. She said simply,   
  
"Cubbi…I felt pain too, you know."  
  
"I know…"  
  
The two cubs locked eyes for a brief moment before Tavi walked out. Cubbi sighed and got up. Grabbing some pajamas, he retreated into his bathroom for a warm bath before he went to go and get Plucki. He was sick of the fear and his body couldn't stay awake much longer. It was going to fall soon and he could feel it. He would rather have a chance to get rid of these horrid dreams before he fell into darkness again.

* * *

  
**_Several Miles from Gummadoon…_**  
  
"Yes…almost there…"  
  
A wrinkled old hand pulled with all the strength it could muster. Old and ancient eyes peered out, hate and a lust for revenge shining in them. The dress she wore was torn and tattered, almost in rags. Anyone stumbling along the figure would have thought it to be an old beggar. The woman was certainly old enough. By all rights, she should have been long dead. Her face, wrinkled and weather torn, was beginning to show it.   
  
But the eyes, mirrors of the soul, were far from crippled and disabled. They were still strong with every ounce of eagerness and thirst for power that they had always possessed. They were focused, determined. Those dark eyes centered on the target at hand, a large and neatly kept castle before her. It was as she had left it. She cursed, seeing the shattered window, left by the Kuson Pi.  
  
Stumbling through the doors, barely able to stand on her own, the old woman made her way into the main hall. The remains of the Kuson Pi beast still lay on the floor. By now, it had gathered maggots and flies and it made a dreadful stench. The ancient sorceress scowled and cursed in an ancient tongue. She made her way over to her magic books. Her power had all but been extinguished. However, she had revenge to rank on three cubs, those three that had brought such disgrace on her, led to the downfall of a plan perfect in all aspects. But, no…not all at once. And not yet. She had to regather power, regather magic somehow. Yet, as she thought back over that battle…that war.  
  
Her thoughts locked on Gummadoon and the littlest one.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Gummadoon_**  
  
Everything was dark. There were a few candles and torches along the walls of Gummadoon but they didn't flicker with the warm and joyful orange heat that Cubbi had grown accustomed to. Instead, they were steady and strong and they were a dark black. There was no light or heat from them. These fires were dark and cold. Wind whistled through cracks in the walls...  
  
Cracks?!  
  
Yes, as Cubbi looked around, he saw that the stone fortress of Gummadoon was weakened, failing. Bricks fell in shattered chips and flames spread over the ground. The cub darted through them and towards the outside, screaming for help. How could no one being doing anything?! They had to fix this up. It was vulnerable like this!  
  
He darted out into the courtyard and froze.   
  
"No…no…not this…"  
  
The knights knew. Or more accurately, they _had_ known. Weapons lay sprawled across the ground, shattered and blood strain. Sleep horns shattered at impact, swords broken from their hilts, bolas tangled about gummi necks; killing the air supply…it was a massacre at his feet. His feet stepped down into the courtyard slowly. Everything was quiet.  
  
His steps came slowly and shaking. He had to grasp at the decaying walls and statues to keep upright. He felt sick to his stomach. As he gazed over the courtyard, he felt his knees starting to give out. Gumlittle and Blastus were the closest. Blastus had more cuts and gashes on him than Cubbi could count. Gumlittle…was in pieces.  
  
Ramsei and Ecri had fallen together, pierced together with one spear. Cubbi fell to his knees and threw up. He couldn't stand and stumbled, landing onto top of someone. Sitting up, he screamed.  
  
Tavi was laying on her back, her face a dark blue. Bruises covered her neck, in the shape of hands. Cubbi stared, stunned and gently put his hands over the bruise marks…  
  
They matched.  
  
"NO!"  
  
He scrambled backwards, scooting over rocks and blood. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
"You're only fooling yourself!"  
  
Cubbi jumped up, looking around, his eyes wide. "Show yourself!"  
  
"I don't need to."  
  
"You did all this! You're a murderer! And a demon!"  
  
"Am I?"  
  
A burst of wind knocked Cubbi down and he found himself onto of his mentor's body. Plucki's face was blue, his mouth eternally locked open. A cord was tied around his neck.  
  
"PLUCKI! NO!" Tears filled his eyes and he jerked his head up, "COME OUT!"  
  
"I am already out…look."  
  
Cubbi looked down and found the same cord around Plucki's neck in his hands. His paws were smeared with blood.  
  
"You can't escape me."  
  
Turning, Cubbi found his reflection in a pool of blood…as Zorlock.  
  
  
 **"NOOOO!"**  
  
Cubbi jerked up in bed, sweat pouring down his face, his sheets twisted around his legs. A horrific feeling took over his heart, a feeling more intense than any previous nightmare had put into him. Was it true? Was Zorlock coming back? Was he back in him? Was he?!  
  
Cubbi jumped out of bed, no longer able to stand it. He didn't care at the moment what he looked like. Plucki had given him an order to come to him if he needed him. Cubbi couldn’t disobey a direct order and he had to see…was that dream true or just a dream?  Was Zorlock back in him and if he was, Plucki'd know what to do…  
  
"PLUCKI!"  
  
The cub slammed the Gummi Captain's door open and jumped onto the captain's bed, wrapping his arms around his waist as he sat up, sobbing his heart out.

* * *

  
  
“There is no calming him, I’m afraid.” the healer said, shaking her head sadly at the pink Glen boy, his arms fused around the Gummadoon Captain.  
  
Plucki nodded, wanting her to leave. She’d been summoned by Gumlittle at the cub’s outcry. She meant well, but she really had little knowledge of what was going on. He knew, however. He knew all too well. The twisted dreams. The nightmares of things happened, things to come. They were only illusions, but they could still hurt and make permanent scars if untreated. The healer knew only physical wounds. She did not have any treatment for mental ones.  
  
Thankfully, she left. Cubbi wasn’t crying. He simply wouldn’t let go.  
  
“Still not willing to tell me about it?” Plucki asked with an awkward smile.  
  
“It’s Zorlock.” Cubbi blurted out. “He’s still inside of me. I’m him!”  
  
“Ah. _Those_ dreams.” He tried to pass it off as nothing new, and something that would go away in time. Any time Aldi had had a bad dream, it worked.  
  
“A dream? But how do you know for sure? Couldn’t he still be lurking in me? How do I _know_? What I did--”  
  
“Cubbi!” At Plucki’s stern command, the cub silenced. “Did you hear what you said?”  
  
“Yeah...” The tears started again. “Me. _I_ did it. I let it happen. I know you say I didn’t, Plucki, and that anybody would have had at least as hard a time... Hard? Gum, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to live through! I can’t do it again!”  
  
“No one expects you to. And Zorlock has been banished for good. He can’t come back. I swear to you. Have I ever led you off, Cubbi? Hm?”  
  
“...No.”  
  
“Don’t you see? It’s been your fears and doubts that fuel the dreams. You have to let them go or you won’t be able to live happily again.”  
  
“Live? Happily? Plucki, I don’t _deserve_ to live! I should have died...”  
  
“Cubbi Gummi, honorary knight or not, that is the last thing anyone should be allowed to say. My great grandmother Destini foretold you would live and save us, and continue to live a good life afterwards. Yes, Zorlock was inside of you when he ... he defeated her... I don’t blame you one bit. You were and still are a victim, Cubbi, and you’ve got to get used to that idea. Destini was never wrong and I won’t have you trying to live miserably. She wouldn’t stand for it and neither would I. Swear you won’t _ever_ say that again!”  
  
Oh, but Plucki was livid! Cubbi met his eyes. “I... I swear. Plucki?”  
  
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t kill her. We all lost someone dear to us, Cubbi. That’s the horrible part of war. But they saved what mattered. The lives of others. Destini saved all of us. Yaci and Lucki and the other squires. Everyone who fought and fell. They all saved us. It is now the job of those who survived to carry on with holding to their efforts, to keep what really matters, and to live happy and remember them. _That_ is our job.”  
  
“What if... what if I can’t remember how?” he squeaked, tears choking him.  
  
Plucki smiled, chuckled a bit. “That’s where others come in. We aren’t alone, Cubbi. We’re all here. For you, for me, for whoever may need us. I... I need others to keep me fighting. Ramsus and Gumlittle and Blastus. We all fight for others. Little Tavi. She needs you more than anyone else. You have to be there for her, Cubbi. Won’t you be there for her?”  
  
Cubbi bit his lip, knowing how much she missed her big brother. How could he possibly fill in for a family member? “I... I’ll try.”  
  
Plucki smiled. “Good lad. Now... Could you do something for me?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Er... You’re cutting the circulation to my left arm.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Their conversation faded to low whispers as dawn broke. The Gummadoon knight standing outside his captain’s door silently moved away. He just wanted to know that Cubbi would be fine. He was worried.  
  
And he knew some of what the cub was going through.  
  
Guilt.  
  
Lucki.  
  
The boy had potential. Moreso than many of the others. He would have gone far. He had a full life to lead, and now? Dust and ground and spilt blood on a poor battlefield. Nothing...  
  
The hardest thing a knight without a family has to do is bury his own squire.  
  
The Gummadoon knight retired to his room and locked it so he could weep in peace.

* * *

  
  
Cubbi, fighting sleep a bit, rested his head on Plucki's shoulder.  Cubbi was still worried that the other knights may blame him for the death of their kin, squires and pages during battle, despite their constant insistence that he was not blamed.  Cubbi buried his head a little deeper on Plucki's shoulder as he quietly cried.   
  
Cubbi looked inside himself and wondered… "Could Zorlock still be here? Oh Gum," he prayed he was gone for good as he tried for the first time to sleep in a while, he stayed close then in what was, to him, ten minutes, was at least three hours when he woke up. When he woke up, he realized that Plucki was holding him asleep in a chair.  Cubbi made a slight noise as he woke and instantly Plucki woke up.  Musta been a light sleeper.  
  
"I see you took a nap, are you feeling better?"  Cubbi just looked at him, not wanting to show his weaknesses so he just stayed quiet.  Plucki held Cubbi to try to calm him again; maybe he could at least get him to sleep again for a little while longer.  Plucki could tell that he was still very sleepy but knew it would take a lot to relax him until he was feeling comfortable enough to sleep soundly again.   Plucki wondered if Tavi was having nightmares as vivid as Cubbi's dreams were. He only hoped that the dreams would soon stop for the cubs and they could go on with their normal lives and training.   
  
Cubbi curled into Plucki's torso, feeling safe inside the Gummi Captain's arms. Plucki was so strong, a true legend, just like his storybooks said. Surely, he was safe with him if he wasn't with anyone else. He knew he should have been ashamed, should have tried to pull away from this but he couldn't. It felt good to be held, much as he hated to admit it. Grammi had done it…  
  
"Relax, lad." Plucki cradled the cub, sliding his hand up the cub's pajama top and rubbing his back. Cubbi fought but then at one moment, his muscles relaxed and he slumped. Plucki chuckled. Every cub had a sweet spot. A sweet spot was what he called it although it had no medical term. Put frankly, a sweet spot was a small area on a cub that if touched or massaged right could spell relaxation and sleep almost instantly. Aldi's had been right below his shoulders. With a quick sweep over Cubbi's back, Plucki found his in the arch of the cub's back. He dug his fingers into the fur and skin, rubbing in slow circles.  
  
Cubbi didn't know why but a sense of peace ran through him when Plucki started to rub his back. It was a sense of total relaxation. It wasn't the normal relaxation either. This was deeper, much deeper. He felt his entire body slack and relax. He wanted to stay awake, afraid of more dreams but his eyes and mind weren't cooperating. He fell asleep, his face pressed into Plucki's shoulder.  
  
The Gummadoon Captain held the cub a few more minutes and when the cub's breathing turned heavy, he scooped the boy up and carried him back to his own room. Walking in, he chuckled. The cub certainly acted like the other squires when it came to room etiquette. Plucki stepped over several toys and books scattered over the floor and laid the cub down on his own bed. The boy didn't stir.   
  
Reaching down to straighten the sheets and blankets, something caught his eye. After covering the younger gummi up, he knelt to see what it was. He pulled from underneath the bed a small teddy bear, weathered and loved. He smiled at the fond memories it brought to mind and slipped it under the covers with his squire. The cub clutched it in response.   
  
He knew why it was where it was now. Plucki knew how much Cubbi tried to impress him. It flattered him but he really wanted the boy to feel comfortable just being himself, as the other squires and pages did. He and the other knights would always check on the other squires before they turned in for the night. The pages went home for the night until they became squires, as most of the pages were still too young to be away from their parents that long. But they would check on the squires.   
  
Cubbi wasn't the only one that still clutched a stuffed animal for comfort. Corvi had his lamb, Flynn had a stuffed bird, Toni used a stuffed fish. Martinni had given his deer up just last year. In a way, Plucki loved to watch them sleep. Still so young and innocent…  
  
The captain took one last look at Cubbi before he left to get dressed for the day and to head out with the others.

* * *

  
  
Gumlittle took a glance at the clock as he finished dressing. He had a few minutes to himself. The gummi knight sat down at his armchair and reached into his file cabinets. He and the other knights had offices where they kept the major paperwork but these files were more personal. Gumlittle was not unused to admiration. He kept all his pictures and paintings from his squires here. Most of them were from his paiges right now but he opened a file near the back.  
  
Sorting through the papers, he had to smile at the odd scribblings and colorings. The ones closest to the back were obviously done from a long time ago. Scrawled across the bottom of each one, in sloppy and uneasy handwriting was the name "Lucki, Page of Sir Gummie."  
  
Gumlittle shook his head, remembering that boy's old nickname for him. He had called him that the first day he had seen him. That was so long ago but he could recall it with every bit of detail as he could recall battles and wars and the day of his knighthood…  
  
 ** _Eight Years Ago…_**  
  
"That was better than yesterday, petit celui."  
  
Gumlittle and Plucki chuckled as Blastus helped his youngest paige, Corvi down from the training equipment. His other paiges had long since passed through squirehood and were now all knights, with the exception of Ecri who was due for knighthood in a few weeks. Plucki's squires had grown and were knighted as were most of Gumlittle's except Yaci, Ecri's twin brother. It was time to start the next generation of trainees. Corvi was the first of them and the little cub was definitely determined. The cub pouted, his light golden hair blowing into his eyes. Mud and a faint bruise marred his light cream fur. His eyes were watery, with tears of frustration. His lip stuck out in the traditional "pouty" look. That look was deadly.   
  
"Not good 'nough!"  
  
Plucki chuckled and walked out to the small cub. "Don't get frustrated, lad. It takes time."  
  
Corvi crossed his arms, "Don't wanna wait! Wanna be good TODAY!"  
  
Blastus chuckled and ruffled the cub's hair, "In time, petit celui. You've had enough for today. Go play."  
  
"Wanna train some more!"  
  
"No more today."  
  
The cub stomped his foot and sat down on the ground, "Not fair."  
  
Blastus smiled, "Tell you what. You go play some, mon ami, and I'll tell you some stories on our battles later."  
  
Corvi looked up, interest perked in his eyes, "Promise, Blastie?"  
  
Plucki held in a laugh at that nickname. Blastus took it in stride and nodded to the cub's question. The cub got up to leave but at that moment, a cry of "NO FAIR!" pierced over the training field. Corvi clamped his hands over his ears. "Too loud!" Blastus chuckled and nodded past Plucki. Turning, the Gummi Captain blinked and greeted his exhausted mate, Illsi, who was dragging their eight year old son Aldi by the arm.  
  
"Plucki, help!"  
  
Plucki raised a brow at the small pink cub in his wife's arms. "Aldi?"  
  
The young cub stopped his tantrum. "Papa!"  
  
"Don't "Papa" me. What is the deal with this tantrum and giving your mother a hard time?"  
  
"Mama's being mean!"  
  
Illsi rolled her eyes, "I told him to start on his studying and he threw a fit."  
  
"It's boring!"  
  
Plucki just narrowed his eyes, "Aldi Gummi, haven't I talked to you before about this?"  
  
While the adults went over to where Plucki and Illsi were lecturing Aldi, little Corvi wandered about, not wanting to leave the field yet. He climbed up on training equipment, no easy task. He went higher than the smaller beams where he and Sir Blastus trained. The adults' training equipment was much more interesting. They had obstacles to avoid! It fascinated the young gummi. He tottled about the beams, holding his arms out to keep his balance  
  
Finding the spinning pods that were meant as obstacles, the small boy ducked under them, trying to find the start switch. He knew that the councilors could turn it on but he'd also seen the knights use it when the councilors weren't present so he figured there was another way to turn it on. After climbing the pole that actually held the swinging pods, he found what he desired. He had to crawl out on the pod itself to reach it though. Swinging down so he hung from it, he kicked it on with his foot.   
  
To his childish delight, the pod started but now his former task was forgotten. This was fun!  
  
"Blastie! Look at me!"  
  
  
"Blastie! Look at me!"  
  
That call made the knights look up. Plucki, Gumlittle, and Blastus shouted nearly as one, running at the same time,  
  
"CORVUS! Get off there!"  
  
"It's fun!"  
  
Blastus jumped up, turning the machine off but at the last second, he called again, "Corvus! Let go!"  
  
"Kay!"  
  
That said, he did just that! The swift speed sent him flying across the training field and into a pile of bushes. He sat up as the knights ran over, laughing.   
  
"That was fun!" He shook his head, still a bit dizzy and then realized he had landed on someone! Looking closer, he laughed, "Lucki!"  
  
Blastus pulled Corvi up as they arrived, looking him over for any injuries. The cub just grinned. Blastus glared at him and the cub's smile faded. Looking for a distraction, he said, pulling Lucki up,  
  
"Blastie, this my friend Lucki!"  
  
The three knights looked at the newcomer, who looked about a year younger than Corvi, with dark green fur and hair. At closer glance, they recognized him as Sir Glenfield's son. Plucki left Aldi to his wife and knelt to the boy's level. The cub was painstakingly shy. It was the first time they had seen him without having to pry him from his mother's skirt.  
  
"What are you doing here, lad?"  
  
The reply could scarcely be called a whisper,"Watching."  
  
Corvi added, "He always watches you guys!"  
  
Plucki raised a brow at Lucki, "So, we have a little spectator?"  
  
Lucki said softly, "Wanna train…"  
  
"Oh, you do?"  
  
Lucki pointed right at Gumlittle, "With him."  
  
Gumlittle was stunned, "What? Me?"  
  
Lucki emerged from the bushes and walked around the gummi knight, "You giant. You my favorite."  
  
Blastus and Plucki laughed. Gumlittle looked down at the small cub who barely reached his knee. The boy asked ,softly,"I…maybe…train under you?" he asked quietly. Gumlittle chuckled,  
  
"That's up to your parents and our Captain."  
  
Before Plucki could say a word, Corvi and Lucki ran over to him, looked up at him, softened their eyes, quivered their lips and asked, "PU-Lease?"  
  
Plucki laughed out loud and replied, "If it pleases you, Gumlittle and your parents, I see no objection."  
  
Lucki yelped and ran back to Gumlittle, attaching himself to his leg. "Gummie's page!"  
  
 _ **Present**_  
  
Gumlittle shook himself out of him memories, realizing he'd been brooding too long. Blastus would be waking Corvi any minute and the knights would be heading out to the stables to tend to the steeds. He slipped the pictures back into their file and closed the drawer, rising to get his boots and put those on. That task accomplished, he stared at his desk once more.  
  
As was tradition, each year the Gummadoon knights had professional portraits done both as a group and with each of the trainees. Gumlittle had several around his room but on his desk were two special ones. The first had been done years ago, when Yaci was sixteen. When Yaci had still been his squire and before those two brothers had lost their love for life and humor. Yaci had been a little sarcastic one, always finding the humor in things. In the picture, he was clinging to Gumlittle's neck, like a little monkey.  
  
The other was the one that sliced his heart open. No more than five months old, it had been done at the annual portrait paintings earlier that year. Little Lucki, newly eleven, standing by his mentor's side, a bright and happy grin on his face. So full of life and hope. Now, what had come of it? That young cub laid with the others in the dark ground, tore from life before his prime.   
  
Gumlittle got up, scooting the pictures back a little before heading out to meet the others at the stables. Work was always good. He had to press on and work was the best way to go about that. Lucki wouldn't want him to brood and weep forever. Lucki had always been the type to move forward. It took Gumlittle weeks before the child understood he had to stop for a training injury or illness. Now, his mentor took a lesson from his deceased squire:  
  
Remember, cherish but press on.

* * *

  
Cubbi sat, watching the other squires silently. He had slept late, surprisingly pretty well. He had never imagined the dreams would have dulled but they not only dulled…they all but disappeared! He had experienced a few brief bits of dark dreams but they had passed. He hadn't remembered other dreams but his bad ones had been limited. He'd woken up only twice. He had not slept so well since before the war. He didn't know what Plucki had done but he hoped he'd do it again. He had felt so safe when he did that…  
  
The cub had slept well past noon when he finally woke up. Plucki hadn't scolded; he'd been glad to see the boy sleep so well. Cubbi had missed training and tutoring but Plucki had said that he was out of both for the week until his body could catch up on the sleep. Cubbi had complained briefly but a brow raise from Plucki had ended all his complaints. Now, he sat watching the other squires play in the sitting room. He wanted to play but after the way Martinni had looked at him…  
  
He wanted to play with them!  
  
Stubborn to his core, he got up and walked over to them. Sweet Gum, it looked like fun! He never missed out on a good game if he could help it! Maybe Martinni would be more accepting or something. He supposed he coulda stuck with the adult knights but… the adults were in a room down the hall, doing who knew what…adult stuff. Boring!  
  
The squires were tossing toy quickcars around at the moment. They could fly like gliders if they let the wings fold out so that's what they were doing. They were made to model the Gummadoon swans of course. Cubbi approached them. Flynn, Martinni and Toni were tossing it back and forth. He called out,   
  
"Guys, can I play?"  
  
The three turned. They paused, uncertain. Fed up, Cubbi said,  
  
"Look, I know I'm probably a big baby to you but I didn't exactly-"  
  
"No, you're not…" Martinni spoke. "It's just…well,"  
  
"We aren't having dreams like you and we-" Flynn added,  
  
"Didn't go through what you did. We didn't think you'd _wanna_ play or talk!" Toni finished, blunt as ever. "_Do_ you wanna play?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Toni grinned and flew it towards Cubbi. "Here then."  
  
Cubbi beamed and tossed it to Martinni, in a spiral. The green furred squire beamed.  
  
"Teach me to do that!"  
  
"Just curve your wrist," Cubbi explained. The cub did that but Martinni's aim was less than perfect. The swan soared over Toni's head, lodging at the top of one of the china cabinets where figurines, dishes and the like were kept. Toni hissed,  
  
"Smooth!"  
  
Martinni blushed and pushed a chair up to try and reach the small toy. There was no such luck. Martinni pouted,"Guess that game's over."  
  
"Nu uh!" Toni argued. He climbed up the stairs halfway and leaned over the railing. "Give me a hand guys. I can almost reach it."   
  
Cubbi got up and followed Toni. The light blue cub was leaning as far over the railing as he could so Cubbi grasped him around the waist so he didn't fall. They probably looked completely ridiculous but in a way, Cubbi loved it. This was kinda fun, being one of the guys again and solving a problem without adult interference! Toni almost had it..  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
Toni plunged further than he meant to and suddenly he was much heavier than he had once been. Cubbi went sailing over the railing and both boys slammed hard into the far edge of the cabinet. Being old and not meant to support weight on its top, the wooden cabinet toppled and then plunged forward with a sickening crash onto the floor. Toni and Cubbi went sprawling across the ground while Flynn covered his ears. Martinni ran out of its path, yelping,  
  
"Heads UP!"  
  
When the hideous crash and echo ceased, Toni rubbed his aching arm and asked Cubbi,"Ya think they heard that?"


	4. Chapter 4

The first one on the scene, surprisingly, was Corvi.  
  
"What in Gum did you two do?!"  
  
Flynn and Martinni had split completely from the scene. Wise of them. Unwise of Toni and Cubbi to try, as they caused the mess. This wasn't something to walk away from and they both knew it.  
  
"Where were _you_?" Toni countered. "Touching noses with Berrybottom's granddaughter?"  
  
Flushing an intense red, Corvi's jaw clenched before he stalked away, mad as heck.  
  
Toni and Cubbi exchanged looks.  
  
Cubbi asked, "Isn't he too young to like girls? Yuck!"  
  
"Aww, we just like to tease him, cuz he's the oldest. We dunno where he goes. Don't care. More fun to tease him and not know." Grinning, Toni looked around at the destruction. "Er... How we gonna explain this?"  
  
"The truth is always best, young squire." came the great booming voice of Sir Gumlittle.  
  
Toni gulped. "Uh... Uh... Ohh... my arm!" Clutching his arm, the cub went into throws of agony. Anything to distract his mentoring knight from the surrounding damage.  
  
Cubbi rolled his eyes. Especially as Gumlittle fell for it.  
  
"What's wrong, lad? Don't tell me you were hurt during another of your stupid stunts?"   
  
Cubbi was thinking maybe he could sneak away. He did _not_ wanna get left with all this on his head!  
  
Exasperated, Gumlittle scooped Toni up and headed for the nearest healer.   
  
On second thought, he turned toward Cubbi. "You stay put. Plucki and the others'll be here any moment."  
  
"Already are." Sir Ramsei said, leading the throng of adults.   
  
Berrybottom, Spinwillow, Wooddale, Ecri, and Plucki swarmed on the scene, gasping and staring in stunned disapproval at what could have been a quick   
car wreck for all the damage.  
  
"What in the name of fur?! Great Gummies, what happened here?" Councilor Berrybottom demanded of Cubbi.  
  
Funny, but he sounded like a mix of Gruffi and Zummi for a second there. The familiarity didn't calm the cub any. They only sounded like that when they were steamed! "Er... Well, ya see... Um... We were just playing, and..."  
  
Spinwillow went down on his knees at the carnage. "My... my dishes... My jade horses... My family heirlooms!?" He started growling and would have said more if not for a hand on her shoulder by Wooddale.  
  
"It can all be repaired, 'willow. No need to fuss so."  
  
"Wooddale, this is inappropriate behavior for any cub." Sir Ramsus sputtered, pointing needlessly to the wrecked cabinet and contents. "'Just playing'? No cub with any sense would have played with a cabinet!"  
  
"Calm down, all of you." Plucki's usually calm voice had a deadly chill to it. "Cubbi is my squire, and as such, I will punish him appropriately." Plucki's eyes sought those of the pink furred cub. "Cubbi? Come with me."  
  
*gulp* He knew he was in for it but he was also honorable and would take whatever punishment due. That was part of being a knight. Just keep tellin' yerself that...  
  
Cubbi was led to the nearest washroom and there Plucki eyed him to the depth of his soul. "Cubbi, what exactly happened?"  
  
With Plucki's calm manner returned, it was a little easier to talk about it. "We were playing and the quickcar got stuck on the cabinets and... well... we tried to get it."  
  
"I see." More than the cub said, it was how he said it. Plucki understood very well that, having not been raised in Gummadoon, Cubbi might have been feeling more than just the weight and remorse of battle. He needed to spend time-- fun time-- with cubs his own age. Something normal. How could he punish the cub severely when he and his longtime playmates had done far worse?  
  
 ** _Gummadoon courtyard, pre-human invasion time_**  
  
"Hey, Blastus! Toss it lower!"  
  
"Eh, mon' ami petit, jump a little higher!" The french-born cub chuckled but dutifully tossed the ball to Gumlittle, his vertically challenged playmate. They were roughly the same height, but 'Little claimed his dad told him he'd just get bigger and bigger. Well, they'd just turned ten and no growing yet!  
  
Plucki, prowling in the bushes, leaped out and caught the ball before it reached 'Little. "Ha! Gotta catch me now!" Tearing around a corner, he wasn't looking where he was headed and collided into Fleuri's flower patch cart. Pots, soil, and bulbs were bumped over, rolled, and crashed to the ground.  
  
Gumlittle and Blastus, bringing up the rear of the chase, slowed when they saw what happened.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
"Zut!"  
  
"Erego Blastus! Ques quese?!"  
  
"Mama... Je joue au ball--"  
  
"Non. Ne discute pas, garcon!" Fleuri snatched her son and Plucki and pulled them to the nearest knight, who'd been coming over at the commotion, along with others.  
  
"S'il te plait, Mama! Plucki il--"  
  
Enraged, Blastus was not able to repeat the words his mother said next, for their bad content.  
  
"Madame Fleuri, what is going on?" The blue-furred knight, trying hard not to laugh at the scene, appeared sufficiently serious to have the children brought to him.  
  
"Sir Hari, zese... boys... 'ave ruined my work!"  
  
"In stead of carting them about, why don't you just have them help you get everything in order?" Expertly steering her and the cubs back that way, he continued to smooth talk the irate foreign gummi until she was quite willing to oversee her son and Plucki fix the damage done. Plucki marveled at the old knight and had never had any other hero or role model in mind but Sir Hari. His dad... Well, he didn't really remember dad very well. So there was Sir Hari and so good at making everything better that Plucki rather enjoyed the punishment.  
  
 ** _::Present, Gummadoon:::_**  
  
"You'll be cleaning this washroom, including behind the sinks and toilet. Just you. No one else. That will be your punishment."  
  
Cubbi's head sagged. "Yes, sir..."  
  
Plucki smiled gently. "You're lucky I didn't hand you over to Councilor Spinwillow!"  
  
Cubbi snorted. "Yeah. I wouldn't have survived that! Okay, Plucki. And I understand why I'm being punished. It still stinks, though."  
  
The knight cocked his head to one side and sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything." His straight face fell away with a huge grin to make the joke complete. With a pat on the head, he left Cubbi to his punishment. Just outside, Plucki paused, remembering the good old days fondly. He, Blastus, and Gumlittle were quite the rascalish trio... Plucki grinned mightily.  
  
He stood there remembering for a bit, listening to Cubbi whistling away his work woes.  
  
Cubbi cleaned away at the bathroom; he'd known he would have a punishment for what he did but he was still wondering what the gummi council would have done to him.  He also thought the phony act that Gumlittle's squire did had soured his mood, but he knew it was best that he tried to make the best of the punishment he had to perform.  Cubbi thought to himself it could have been much worse, a bare bottom spanking.  Cubbi shivered at that thought, as it been a while since he got one of those, but it still was fresh in his mind.  
  
Cubbi still remembered that day he'd learned to fly using a modified extra part to Gruffi's Gummi Berry Harvester.  He'd been able to find out the real truth of the Aerials.  Cubbi shivered, remembering how much Gruffi's punishment that time had hurt his bottom; he had to lay on his stomach for a while until the sting was not too bad, to sit again.    
  
Within the hour Cubbi had completely finished cleaning the bathroom, even down to polishing the chrome on the faucets so they shined like silver.  Cubbi impressed with his work, stepped back to admire it. As he did, he forgot about a mop that was behind him, stepped on it and slipped back with a thud.  The combination mop, slippery tile, and the boots the cub had on made for an accident.  Cubbi landed on his backside hard and the mop flipped to end up on his head over the helmet he had on, which made him look like he had on a fuzzy hat.    
  
The thud quickly grabbed the attention of Plucki who was close by to the bathroom.  Plucki had been lost in thought remembering a similar situation that he and Blastus had been in when they both were Cubbi's age, and in another room similar to the room were the cubs got in trouble now.  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Sitting Room, Pre-Human Invasion Time_**  
  
"My turn P'ucki!"  
  
The eight year old cub giggled and tossed Gumlittle the ball. The cub was five, three years younger than Plucki, but he was almost as tall as Plucki was! Plucki was a squire, had been for one year already and Gumlittle was just newly a page but they had known one another a long time, mainly because their parents were friends. But as they spent more time together, they'd bonded.  
  
"I got it! I got it!" Gumlittle chased the ball, slamming into a side table in the process, sending an old oil lamp onto the ground. It shattered on contact. Gumlittle winced and looked at Plucki as he ran over. Plucki made a horrified face and helped Gumlittle up. Scooping up the ball from the shards, he turned to Gumlittle and said,  
  
"That was Mama's…"  
  
"Tombe. Va le boom."  
  
The two turned to see a new cub in the doorway. Small, about three or so, it looked like. He had rust colored hair and he was obviously foreign; they heard it in his thick accent. But he walked in, curious. He regarded the two older cubs with wondering eyes. Plucki wondered if this cub belonged to the cook and his wife they had coming from France.  
  
"Hi," Gumlittle grinned cheekily, always glad for a new playmate. "My name Gumlittle…this P'ucki!"  
  
The cub was obviously confused. He blinked, not understanding their words. Plucki, although he was worried about getting in trouble, he wasn't the type to leave a cub hopelessly confused. He knelt to his knees so he could be closer to this cub's height. Gum's sake, he was short! He looked the cub in the eyes, to make sure he had his attention and then he pointed to his chest,"Plucki."  
  
The cub blinked and Plucki repeated the motion. By now, Gumlittle had caught on and when Plucki stopped, he hit his own chest, saying, "Gumlittle!" The two kept this up for a while, before the cub's eyes lit up and he yelped,   
  
"Ah! You P'wucki. You 'Ittle! Me Blastus!"  
  
Plucki nodded and said the little French that he _did_ know: "Qui, qui!"  
  
Blastus clapped his hands, happy as if he'd found the secret to the wisdom of the world. He followed the two over to the remains of the lamp and looked up at them,"La lampe importante?"  
  
Thank Gum for some French that they could figure out! Plucki nodded and pointed to his chest,"Mama's."  
  
Blastus seemed to understand that and thought,"La peau? La notification personne?"  
  
Blastus tugged on Plucki's arm and darted through, reaching down to pick the glass up. Well, Plucki's mother and mentor had pounded into his head to never touch broken glass but let an adult handle it. He always thought it was dumb but when it had been repeated so often, he obeyed. He nearly repeated that to this new cub but his warning came a few minutes too late.  
  
"OW!" The cub dropped the lamp, wailing at the pieces of glass stuck in his palm. But he grabbed the pieces again, throwing them into the trashcan and sweeping the rest under the rug.   
  
Gumlittle looked at Plucki,"Maybe they won't notice?"  
  
Plucki shrugged, "Worth a shot." He grinned at the small cub and picked him up, "I _like_ you."  
  
Blastus grinned right back.  
  
 _ **:Present::**_  
  
Opening the door, he had to laugh.  
  
"Not funny!" Cubbi protested as he stood. Plucki just smiled and helped the cub to put the mop up. He set the bucket and sponges away and then gently led Cubbi over to the sink. Taking the cub's helmet off, he leaned him over and helped him wash some of the suds out of his hair. Cubbi pouted but didn't move. Plucki worked quickly and then dried the cub's hair with a towel and helped him comb it out.  
  
Looking around the room, he smiled, "I'm impressed, lad."  
  
Cubbi smiled, "This room is a lot bigger than it looks though."  
  
Plucki laughed, "Oh, believe me, I learned that the hard way too."  
  
"_You_ got in trouble?"  
  
"Oh, Gum yes…what, you think I was always an adult?"  
  
"Aren't all adults?" came the cheeky answer.  
  
His reply was an attack on his side with swiftly moving fingers.  
  
"No fair tickling! No fair!"  
  


* * *

  
"This is no fun, no fun, no fun."  
  
"Perhaps you should have thought of that earlier, Toni."  
  
Toni turned from his position of mopping the sitting room floor and pouted. Gumlittle had taken a seat in one of the chairs, viewing the cub's work. Toni stuck his tongue out at him briefly but went back to work. Gumlittle cleared his throat and took a sip of tea he had with him. He waited a moment, to see if the cub would take the hint and when he didn't he said,  
  
"Add the hallway to your list of floors to wash."  
  
"WHAT?!" Toni whirled around, dropping the mop. "That's not fair!"  
  
"You would have just had this room without that little tongue flash."  
  
"We didn't mean to knock the stupid cabinet over. Most of those things were ugly anyway."  
  
"That isn't the point Toni. Do you not know to ask for help if you can't reach something?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"And do you also know that you boys are supposed to stay clear of the cabinets?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"And…did you listen to any of those rules?"  
  
"No…"  
  
"I had a half-mind to turn you over to Spinwillow."  
  
The cub pouted, saying again, "It's not fair."  
  
Gumlittle chuckled a little, "It may not be fair but it won't take you much longer to finish. You're nearly done with this room and the hallway isn't the long, you'll survive."  
  
Toni sighed but went back to mopping. As he finished the last corner of the sitting room and headed out into the stone laid hallway, an idea took shape in his head. He knew it certainly wouldn't work but the humor of it just might be enough to win Gumlittle over. Gumlittle could be stern if he felt the need but the knight was also the type to cave, if given reason.  
  
On the way out the door into the hallway, Toni fell onto his side, clutching his stomach, in the center. "Gumlittle!"  
  
The knight rolled his eyes but walked over, looking down at the cub,  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Massive…pain…can't move."  
  
Gumlittle rolled his eyes again but he smiled. Toni's eyes didn't have the sincere look they had when he truly hurt or was truly trying to fake it. He was joking around, which was fine. Gumlittle could afford to play around a little. No problem with loosening up! He took on an overly sympathetic look and knelt to his level, shaking his head, "Pain, is there, young squire? Where?"  
  
"Here…" he grabbed the left of his belly, "The appendicitis is doing the tango…"  
  
"First off Toni, you tried this earlier." He pulled the boy up and handed him the mop. "Oh and for future reference?"  
  
Toni cocked his head; Gumlittle broke out in a grin and slapped the boy's cheek in a friendly gesture  
  
"Your appendicitis is on the right."  
  
"Well…it's on _your_ right!"  
  
Gumlittle laughed and ruffled the boy's hair as he went off to finish the hallway. Gumlittle thought a moment and then called, "Toni?"  
  
The cub stuck his head back in.   
  
Gumlittle chuckled and took the mop from the boy, "I suppose this room is punishment enough. I expect you to apologize to Councilor Spinwillow however and obey the rules in the future or next time, I won't let you off easy, understand?"  
  
The boy flashed him a salute, "Yes sir!"  
  
Gumlittle, all too willing to joke for a bit, gave the cub a salute back, "Dismissed, Sir Toni."  
  
His laugh filled the room as he tore towards the playroom on the upper floor. Shaking his head as he put the mop up, Gumlittle chuckled fondly. That boy could be a mischievous child, crazy even at times but he was a good and stout hearted lad when it came right down to it. Rambunctious, yes but what cub was not rambunctious? In fact, Toni reminded him a lot of himself when he was child. Oh, how he had driven his parents nuts!  
  
""Little!"  
  
He turned, surprised to hear that voice. Coming through the door was Denni, one of his pages. Given that dinner was going to be served in a few minutes, it was rare for any of the pages to still be here; most went home after training was through, unless they were staying for the night. The pages did spend the night on occasion, to slowly wean them away from their parents. But tonight wasn't one of those nights.  
  
"Denni! What are you doing here? I walked you home, remember?"  
  
Denni sniffed, tears running down his face. "I lost my B'ankie."  
  
Gumlittle thought a minute, translating his child-talk. "Oh, you lost your blanket?"  
  
Denni nodded, his short black hair bouncing with each sob. His olive green fur was marred with tear stains. He sniffed, "I always bring with me. I dunno where it is!"  
  
Gumlittle picked the small five year old up, "Okay, first off, Denni, calm down. We'll find it. Come on, no more tears."  
  
Denni wiped his eyes and looked at his mentor who thumbed his nose.  
  
"That's better." Setting the cub down on his feet, he asked, "Do your parents know you're here?"  
  
"Big sister knows…said she'd tell Mama and Papa."  
  
"All right, come along little one and we'll see if we can find Blankie."  
  


* * *

  
**_Miles from Gummadoon_**  
  
"So…my old magic is gone…there is always more…"  
  
These were Lady Bane's words to herself as she searched through her old magic books, flipping through each one. It was an infuriating process. She had kept her Troggels, or the surviving and loyal ones, away with the threat of adding new rugs if she was disturbed. She wanted her beauty and strength back more than anything. That gem had been the magical amulet that had given her much of her power. However, everyone had some ability of magic. She was not about to let hers go unattended to…  
  
"Ha! Here it is!"  
  
It was. Spells of the ancient Latin tongue. Complicated spells to cast, they took longer but they could have devastating effects once the sorceress had mastered their power. Flipping through the ancient scribblings, she found the perfect way to test her new path to power. She took a sip of water, to wet her parched and older throat and spoke, her raspy voice full of anger and lust for revenge, but not the voice of an amateur sorcerer:  
  
 _"Reverte temporis manus. Concede mihi adulescentiam meorum annorum praeteritorum ut iterum sentiam vires et potestastem quam olim possidebam!"_  
  
Immediately a golden light filled the entire room. Her throat felt stretched for a moment and then the pain left it. She lifted her wrinkled hands up, to view them. The varicose veins shrank and then receded beneath her skin. The age spots faded and then vanished completely. Her yellowed nails turned first ivory and then the white of youth. Finally, the wrinkles smoothed, ever so slowly as if being ironed out.   
  
Her stomach toned, tightened, grew stronger. She felt the pain of her spine straightening itself and the muscles in her legs and back doubling up on one another, returning her posture to its previous state. Her breasts rounded and filled out, becoming firmer. The age spots and wrinkles vanished from her skin, turning it to its old ivory shade. The beauty came back to her legs and arms. But as she rushed to the mirror, the last of the transformation took hold and she watched with anticipation.  
  
The wrinkles of her face vanished, as if someone had tightened her skin. Her chapped lips became full and smooth and the rosy shade returned to them. The bags beneath her eyes ironed out and merged with her skin. Her cheekbones defined and a faint peach color filled her entire body, save for the faint red on the cheeks. Her grey scrawny hair bleached first to white and then to the darkest black as it fluffed out and fell in waves to her waist. The transformation was done…  
  
She was young.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Gummadoon**_  
  
"You're telling me that it was at his house the entire time?"   
  
Gumlittle laughed out loud and answered, "Yep, right under the bed, under some dirty clothes."  
  
Plucki shook his head but smiled. That did _not_ surprise him. Gumlittle had told Plucki about Denni's visit. They had searched for hours to no avail only to have Denni's father come and show up, saying that his blanket was under the bed and his mother had been washing it. Plucki knew that feeling all too well as with Aldi, many a toy had been lost in the mess in his room. He tried to imprint this lesson on the squires but to no avail.  
  
"Maybe if he kept his room cleaner, that wouldn't be an issue."  
  
Blastus looked up from where he sat on the floor with the squires. The knights had gathered in the sitting room for the evening, as they did after every dinner. The adults conversed and talked while the squires had dragged out some favorite playsets and were playing together. The toy of choice was a model of Gummadoon, complete with toy weapons and soldiers. Even Corvi was not ashamed to be playing with. Blastus, forever the child at heart, had left the adult conversation and joined the boys. He looked up at Plucki's statement and grinned, "Ah, but mon ami, where is the fun in that?"  
  
Plucki fixed his gaze on Blastus. "_You_ could do with cleaning your room up a bit too, Sir Blastus."  
  
Blastus just grinned, "Sacre bleu, surely you jest." And went back to playing with the boys.  
  
Plucki rolled his eyes but smiled. Ramsei rolled his eyes too but not in amusement. Sometimes he couldn't believe that Blastus outranked him. He sure didn't act like it most of the time but for some reason that didn't bother Plucki or Gumlittle at all. In fact, they seemed to _like_ his goofing off. But then, Ramsei had long given up trying to understand his brother-in-law.  
  
"We win! We win!"  
  
"Of course you guys win," Toni complained. They had divided into teams. He, Cubbi and Corvi on one team and Martinni, Flynn and Blastus on another. Toni saw that as exceptionally unfair. He looked at Blastus and pointed,"You got a knight on yer team!"  
  
Blastus smirked and tweaked the cub's nose, "And I suppose if you lose a battle, you'll complain too, n'est-ce pas?"  
  
Cubbi laughed. "They might let us win so they don't gotta hear it!"  
  
Toni took on a fake hurt look and then pushed Cubbi down. Cubbi pushed back and before long, a friendly wrestling match broke out.  
  
Ramsei watched it, not amused. Looking at the clock he stood up."Boys!"  
  
The squires turned to look at him. Blastus regarded the older but lower ranking knight with a warning glance. Ramsei didn't mind cubs playing but he got pretty picky this late at night. But Blastus saw a look on his face that was extremely alarming. He started waving his hands back and forth, whispering "Non, non!" If Ramsei saw it, he ignored it.  
  
"It's getting late," he continued. "You all need to get a-"  
  
Blastus covered his ears, "Non, non…don't say it."  
  
"-bath."  
  
Blastus threw himself across the room at that word, so he was by Plucki and Gumlittle's feet. "Trois…Deux…Un…"  
  
"NO BATH!"  
  
The room almost shook when all the boys except Corvi took off like a shot out of different doors. Ramsei stood there, stunned dumb.   
  
The other three knights however, burst out laughing. Ramsei whirled to glare at them and Blastus stood up.  
  
"Ramsei…mon ami… you don't say the 'b-word' around anyone younger than ten…" he gave the knight a "duh" glance as he headed out after Flynn, his youngest squire.  Flynn never lost a chance to remind someone that he hated both baths and vegetables, both with an equal passion. Fortunately, however, he was also a klutz and pretty easy to catch. Blastus headed off that way, as Gumlittle started after Toni and Martinni.  Plucki, standing to go after Cubbi, called to his youngest friend,  
  
"Or to you, Blastus."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Gumlittle laughed, "It's true!"  
  
Blastus paused, turned around, stuck his tongue out at them and took off down the hall. But as he went, he had to smile. He wondered if they were remembering what he was. He'd never liked baths much but this particular memory always made him smile, mainly because of the loyalty they had for each other. As he pursued Flynn, he thought back a few years…  
  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Pre-Human Invasion Time_**  
  
"Plucki! Little! You gotta _save_ me, mes amis!"  
  
Plucki, a ten year old, and Gumlittle, an eight year old, turned as their youngest friend, Blastus, a mere five year old, tore over to them, in a panic. He darted between the two, hiding behind them. Although, it was mainly Plucki he hid behind. The trio were close, like brothers, or as Blastus affectionately called them, his freres grands. Gumlittle and Plucki had picked up a great deal of French and they both loved Blastus to death. Plucki turned to the cub half his age and asked,"What is it frere petit?"  
  
Gumlittle broke in, "Yeah, who's trying to pick on you? Plucki and I'll clobber 'em!"  
  
"It's my mama!"  
  
Gumlittle winced. Fleuri was _not_ someone he wanted mad at him and she wasn't even his mother! In fact, Gumlittle wouldn't want either of Blastus' parents mad at him. Blastus' mother was a florist who didn't seem to have any control of her temper whatsoever. She tried and she no doubt loved her son and children but sometimes it was hard to tell. Blastus' father, Vizzini, was a little better. He was one of the palace cooks but he was always a little disappointed his son chose not to follow his footsteps. Still, Gumlittle took a breath.  
  
"Uh…what did you do?"  
  
"Nothing! Mama wants to give me a bath!"  
  
Plucki faltered, "A b…bath?!"  
  
Gumlittle made a face, "Ew! Poison!"  
  
Blastus nodded, "Baths are bad for you! Hide me!"  
  
Gumlittle and Plucki grinned, taking a hold of Blastus' arms and running out of the city, towards the woods. Blastus giggled, laughing like a loon. That was the _best_ part of being the little one! He wasn't even running really. He had a firm grip on Plucki and Gumlittle's arms and they were pretty much carrying him. He grinned, hearing his mother calling his name as he and his friends vanished into the woods.  
  
"Three…two….one!"  
  
Blastus yelped as his two friends tossed him off a small tree branch. His surprised yelp turned to a happy cry as he landed in what he originally thought was a lake but he grinned when he saw it was a mud puddle that a lot of the boys in Gummadoon liked to play in. He waved up at his friends who grinned in response and jumped in after him.   
  
Blastus, always the child and always the one to get the dirtiest first, jumped out and came back with a handful of pine needles and leaves. He threw them down on top of his two friends. They laughed and threw a handful of mud at him. He grinned, a gap toothed grin of a cunning cub and called to his friends, "I bet you I can get more leaves than you!"  
  
The two other boys, never ones to turn down a dare, jumped out and tore past him, "I bet not!"  
  
Blastus ran after them, calling, "No fair! Longer legs!"  
  
The three cubs took off into the deeper woods, grabbing up handfuls of leaves and starting to throw them at each other. The dry leaves stuck to the mud like it was honey so before long, it looked like three little forest demons were running through the woods, instead of three cubs. Blastus, despite being shorter, had the most energy and before long he pulled ahead. Laughing, he called back,  
  
"Catch me maintenant!"  
  
Plucki, however, saw what was ahead, "Blastus! Stop!"  
  
His warning came too late as the small cub ran smack into a leg. Falling onto his backside, he yelped,"Tomie!"  
  
Sure enough, it was a band of knights that the cub had run into. And not just any knight. Tomie, as Blastus called him, was Tomus, his mentor. Plucki and Gumlittle came into view, wincing. Tomus turned from where he stood, his face stern and serious. He pushed his rust colored hair back and regarded his trainee with a disapproving face.  
  
"Sir Tomus!"  
  
Plucki ran forward and pulled Blastus up. The small cub was grateful for it and Gumlittle and Plucki immediately came up with reasons for the current state, especially since they still had their uniforms on! Blastus wasn't the only one in trouble. Coming up from behind Tomus were two unicorns, each carrying another knight. Upon seeing the cubs, they both dismounted.  
  
The older two cubs winced as they recognized their own mentors.   
  
Sir Valei was Plucki's and he didn't look too happy. He was one of the higher ranking knights, actually in the blue rank. He was a tall gummi, with light tangerine fur and blood red hair. But he was also one of the few knights that had an eye patch. It was the same shade as his hair and half covered his left eye. Valei was one of the oldest of the knights, and also one of the strictest, especially when it came to etiquette.   
  
Gumlittle may well have been the easiest off. His mentor, Sir Quintus, was one of the younger knights; Gumlittle was his first squire while both Valei and Tomus had taught many a squire and page. Quintus was a sky blue shade with long neon blue hair that he kept tied back in a low ponytail. He was the yellow rank, while Tomus was red and Valei was blue. However, even naïve Quintus didn't look happy.  
  
"Explanation, Sir Plucki," came Valei's deep voice. Plucki winced,  
  
"Uh…we, uh…you see…"  
  
"They was saving me!" came Blastus' young voice.   
  
Plucki nodded with fervor, "Y..yeah! That's what we were doing!"  
  
Quintus fought to hold in a laugh. "From what?"  
  
Gumlittle and Plucki exchanged grins. They might get away with this-  
  
"From a bath! Mama trying to poison me!"  
  
Uh....strike that. Plucki and Gumlittle hit their foreheads. Oy, Blastus was _way_ too honest!   
  
Blastus spied his two friends' expressions, "What?"  
  
"Well, that explains a lot…" Tomus mused although he had to smile, despite the situation. He fixed his sights on the three children who chose that moment to run but not back the way they came. They plowed through the knights, grabbing Blastus as they went and darting between the unicorns' legs. The animals in response, whinnied, throwing their front legs up, panicked. The three cubs took off at a run, only to be stopped cold by a   
  
"BLASTUS ARAUMAND GUMMI! Ne pas me faire vous appelle encore, le jeune ours!"  
  
Blastus slid to a stop as his mother made her way through the branches. His two friends froze behind him. But despite the anger on Fleuri's face, Plucki chuckled,"Araumand?"  
  
Blastus sent him a harsh glare, pouting. "Tu fermes en haut." He turned to his mother and took on his pouty and cute face, moaning, "Mama! Je ne veux pas un bain ! Je n'ai pas besoin de l'un !"  
  
"Gum comme mon témoin que vous faites ! Vous regarde !"  
  
Plucki spoke out, on his friend's behalf, "Lady Fleuri, please ease up! We were just playing…"  
  
Fleuri's glare stopped him short. "You are in zeep trouble too, Plucki…Gumlittle…"  
  
The two boys exchanged looks. Fleuri growled and turned to her son,   
  
"Quand vous avez des ennuis, ces deux sont toujours tout près." She turned her head and called behind her, "Ashlei! Gadi!"  
  
Plucki froze as Ashlei, his mother, walked through the trees, followed by Gadi, Gumlittle's father. Plucki and Gumlittle tried to give them a sheepish grin but it wasn't helped by the fact that their knight mentors chose then to enter and tell what else had happened. Gadi stormed forward and looked at Gumlittle right in the eyes,   
  
"Gumlittle Carrum Gummi, you better start explaining."  
  
"Uh, well, Dad, you see…uh, we were helping and then this happened and…the next thing…oh, uh what was the question again?"  
  
Plucki met his mother with his innocent look but it wasn't working this time,  
  
"PLUCKI LITHIUM GUMMI! Look at you!"  
  
"Moooomm!"  
  
Gumlittle, despite his father's glare of disapproval, and Blastus, despite how close his mother was to turning him over her knee right there, burst out laughing, "LITHIUM?!"  
  
Plucki whirled and gave both a dark growl and look, "Call me that and die."  
  
"Call you what…Lithi?"  
  
Plucki picked up a clump of mud and threw it. Blastus ducked but it soared past and nailed Valei right in the face. Plucki winced and both he and Gumlittle tore to Blastus, picking him up, "Actually, a bath sounds _real_ good right now."  
  
They ran back towards the city while Blastus whined,"Non, I'm allergic to soap!"  
  
"Then we shall die together!"  
  
 _ **::Present:::**_  
 _ **Gummadoon**_  
  
"…and so in exchange for their bravery, they were entrusted with the safety of their clan and city and guided it into peace for the rest of their days."  
  
Cubbi grinned and Plucki shut the book. The Gummadoon knight smirked at the cub's eyes. Oh how he loved to see the cubs' eyes light up whenever he or one of the others broke into one of their stories. The squires adored it so every week, when the training and dinner was done; they'd gather in the sitting room and tell all the stories of their battles to the little trainees.  
  
Plucki pushed Cubbi back onto the bed, tweaking his nose, "And now this little knight needs to get some sleep."  
  
Cubbi smiled, faintly. Plucki was so casual about it that Cubbi felt _silly_ being embarrassed. His dreams had dulled a lot and when they did come, before he could even yell out, Plucki was right there. It was like he was psychic or something. Still, Cubbi supposed he should have been able to cope with the dreams on his own…  
  
"Sir Cubbi…what did I tell you?"  
  
Plucki pulled Cubbi into his arms and started on his sweet spot again, saying softly,  
"Lad, even the strongest of warriors lean on another at times. We all do it here."  
  
"All of you?"  
  
"yes, all of us."  
  
"Even you? Gumlittle? Blastus? Ram-"  
  
"Yes, all of us. We're all family here, lad. Ramsei and the others are like my best cousins. Blastus and Gumlittle are my brothers. And all you boys are all our sons."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, we stand by one another, no matter what."  
  
"So…"  
  
"We're never alone, lad. Tell me, what is the sound of one knight on the battlefield?"  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"Nothing. With only one knight to an army, there is no battle, nor no army. Only with a lot of people working together can there be victory. That is our strength. Not in standing alone but in standing together."  
  
Cubbi nodded, "I think I understand." Plucki smiled and rubbed the boy's back until sleep overwhelmed the cub,"In time you'll see, little one. In time."

* * *

  
 ** _Miles from Gummadoon_**  
  
Lady Bane laughed and whirled around, letting her long skirt and black hair flare out around her, like a ripple of color. Her voice echoed through the room, vibrating off the tiles and stone. She danced about the room, happy as she had been since she had truly been young. This spell was not like the other spell which disguised age with youth. No, this was truly turning back the clock.  
  
"And what better way to celebrate than with a little spell practicing?"  
  
And she knew the perfect victims. Flipping through her spell book, she went over a few diseases. Disease spells were great practice because she could direct them to be lethal, to attack all or few or pretty much anything else she wished. She wanted to make those gummi knights and especially that child suffer but because he had suffered a sorcery inflicted illness before, she knew they'd be suspicious if she hit him. Besides, the way to fall an army was through the leaders. She needed to examine the way the knights and squires worked together and lived together. This could be done with a mild illness spell and then she could decide where to go from there.  
  
"hmm…yes, this is perfect."  
  
Cubs' Fever…a rather semi-common illness that had not been completely extinguished from Gummadoon. It would be not too uncommon. However, she wanted to try its serious form first. Any fool could cast a mild spell. This illness hit the older harder. Looking over her choices, she smiled as she selected her victim. Not only would he serve her purpose for a harder form of the illness but he was hardly unimportant to the knights. She grinned and released the first wave of her new magic:"<Fly from here, waves of Cubs Fever. Instill your pain and agony in one alone. One I desire. Sir Blastus, child adult of Gummadoon, fall victim to their pain.>"  
That said and done, she sat back to view her results.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon_**  
  
Blastus had been tossing and turning for hours on end. Looking over at his clock, he winced. He would have to get up for training and the other duties in less than three hours and sleep was just not coming. The pain had hit suddenly and swiftly at about midnight. It was a similar pain. One he had felt as a child. He tried to ignore it. Had he been younger, he would have complained to Plucki that he didn't feel good rather than go to sick bay willingly.   
  
But this pain was too harsh, too powerful.  
  
He stumbled to his feet and leaning against the wall, he walked down to sickbay where Sarrika was on duty. Given his hatred of medical exams, she was rightly stunned by his entrance and then alarmed by how he shook and how red his face was. Jumping up to rush to him, he'd only time to mutter,"Tres mal…I don't feel good…"  
  
Before he collapsed.


	6. Chapter 6

“Sir Blastus!!” Sarrika barely caught the sickly knight before he fell to the floor.  
  
Too early for others to be up, she managed him to an examination cot, one left over still from the great battle which she was still tending the effects of. Young Tavi was complaining of headaches not five hours ago. But she had no time for the smaller ails at the moment.  
  
Sarrika tried getting any response from the fallen knight but he had completely succumbed to whatever was attacking his body, and it didn’t look good. A cursory examination confirmed her budding fear. Oh Gum… Not Cub’s Fever! Medicine alone may not be able to help Sir Blastus. She hated to do it but left him in the infirmary while she ran to wake the Gummadoon Council. This was terrible!  
  


* * *

  
  
Tavi saw Sarrika streak out of the infirmary like her fur was on fire. Or, actually, like someone else’s fur was on fire. Curious, and not having any sleep tonight for the dull pounding in her head, she crept up to see what might be going on.  
  
There lay Blastus, prone, moaning softly, and not looking well at all.  
  
What can I do? she thought, wracking her brains for some hint. Her headache vanished at this new threat, she tried to figure out how she could help. She had no medical training, nor any healer’s knowledge. She was just a kid! But a kid who wanted to help. That’s gotta count for something! Well, Sarrika musta gone to tell somebody or get some help. She’d go to the council or the knights. She could go and wake whoever Sarrika didn’t go find, but which was it?  
  
A funny prickly warm sensation traveled through her body and suddenly she saw Sarrika talking to Councilor Berrybottom. It was a little disorienting, but the vision vanished and she had her answer. Not questioning how it happened, Tavi raced up to the level where the knights’ rooms were.

* * *

  
  
Cubbi slept but it was not a real deep sleep; his thoughts were still on what had happened and he thought… how could he have let Toni talk him into doing that.  Cubbi moved in his bed as he slept, he tossed and turned to find his comfortable place in the bed.  He had been sleeping in this bed in the room near Plucki's room for a while but still he was scared living away from the home he knew. He had haoped to be acclimated by this  time but no such luck...  
  
Tavi paused as she headed out, hearing the sickly knight in the infirmary. Her sensitive nature took over and she slowly walked back in, poking her head in. Tavi saw Blastus was out cold; he was sweating and moaning in pain, she knew he needed comfort.  She also saw the vision of the healer talking to now her aunt in addition to Berrybottom, she could see she was relaying the news of his illness, and even she was shocked.  She had learned years prior how to read lips and saw Sarrika's confirmed diagnosis, Cub's Fever. She bit her lip and decided to follow up on her first idea and go and wake the other knights. Or at the very least: Plucki and Gumlittle.  
  


* * *

  
  
Corvi was lost in a good book when he saw little Tavi in a near panic. He usually wasn't up this early but he got thirsty and had gotten up to get some juice. Not being able to go back to sleep, he'd gone to the library for a little bit. It was a few hours left to sunrise though so the palace was silent for the most part. Except for little Tavi rushing up the stairs. He set his book down on the side table and called up to her, "Tavi?"  
  
The small girl spun around and ran down to the first floor.   
  
"Corvi! I gotta get the knights up, somethin's wrong, Sarrika went and woke the COUNCIL!"  
  
That put Corvi on edge. For a medic to go and get the council, especially at this time…it was bad. He knelt to Tavi's level. "Okay, calm down, Tavi. Now, tell me what gives."  
  
"Blastus is _really_ sick…he looks _BAD_!"  
  
Corvi felt his heart stop and then speed up. Blastus was his mentor…no, more than that. Over the years, Blastus had become like a second father to the squire, especially after his own father was killed in combat when he was nine. More than that, Blastus had been there every time he needed him, whether he needed a guiding mentor or a playmate.   
  
"How…how sick?"  
  
"Sick enough Sarrika left him alone to go get the council! We needa get the other knights up!"  
  
Corvi didn't deny that but he led her to the wall where he touched a small carving in the stone. A small doorway opened up. He had to duck to get in but Tavi was just fine. Once inside, they were met with a series of tunnels, passages, stairs and trapdoors. Tavi about panicked and headed back out when Corvi snagged her arm and pointed up one. "That'll end in a door that opens in Gumlittle's left wall. Go wake him. I'll go and find Plucki."  
  
"How do you know it'll go there?"  
  
"I've got Gummadoon's blue prints here." He pointed to his head. "Now go. It'll get you there a ton faster."  
  
Tavi regarded the older gummi curiously but she did what he said and started up the stairs. She noted that these stairs were a ton steeper than the others. It was obviously made to get someone somewhere faster than usual. She suspected they might be emergency exits, created when the city was first built, for evacuation purposes. In any event, it certainly helped!  
  
Arriving at her destination, she didn't even bother opening it quietly. She slammed the wall opening wide open and screamed, "GUMLITTLE ! GET UP!"  
  
Corvi tore up his own flight of stairs, urging his feet to go faster. He didn't know how sick his mentor was or even what he had but he knew that if Sarrika had, one, left a patient alone in sickbay then it was beyond serious. She made it her policy to never leave a sick gummi alone, for even a second. She always found someone to stay with them if she had to dart out. So the fact that she had left him alone made his heart go at the speed of a unicorn's hooves.   
  
Secondly, she had woken the council. Corvi could only remember one time when they had woke the council and that had been when Illsi and Aldi had caught Fire Plague. He'd only been about five years old but he remembered that clearly. Blastus and the other knights had left to fight Zorlock and they had only been gone three days when first Aldi then Illsi had fallen ill. Sarrika had gotten the council then because of the threat of epidemic. Whatever Blastus had, it had to be contagious for Sarrika to get the council.  
  
Corvi reached the top and pushed the wall in. He found Plucki easily. The knight was fast asleep. He hated to wake him but he needed to. He fumbled for the lamp and turned it on as high as it would go.   
  
"Plucki! Wake up!"  
  


* * *

  
"No improvement Sarrika?"  
  
"Are you _certain_-"  
  
"Yes, without a doubt." Sarrika bit her lip and wiped down Sir Blastus' face with cold water. He only trembled in response and rolled over, trying to get more comfortable and attempting to dull the pain no doubt. She was mixing up any herbal remedies she could think of to try but unfortunately, Sir Blastus was allergic to the main ingredient in the most commonly used  potion so she was having to improvise.   
  
Berrybottom added, "But if I remember right, didn't all our current knights catch Cubs Fever in their youth?"  
  
"Yes, they did."  
  
"How could he catch it twice?"  
  
"I…I…I don't know, Councilor. I honestly don't know."  
  
"Will he live?"   
  
"I can't say."  
  
"Well, I'd appreciate some answers, milady."  
  
Sarrika turned and found herself met with Corvi, Tavi and Gumlittle and Plucki. The two knights had obviously just found out about their fellow knight being in sick bay. They had on their night slacks and their housecoats but no shoes. And judging by their faces and the swift way they entered, they knew little but that Blastus was sick. Plucki met Sarrika's eyes,"What's going on?"  
  
The medic responded softly, "Cubs' Fever."  
  
“That’s impossible.” Gumlittle cried in disbelief.  
  
“True, but here our fellow gummi lies afflicted with that very illness.”   
  
Spinwillow hated admitting it also but what more could be said?  
  
“But…” Plucki was also at a loss. What could have brought this on? NO cub had the fever lately! He remembered well what happened when he, Blastus, and Gumlittle caught it… “Councilor Berrybottom, your wife treated Sir Blastus when we were cubs. It was very hard on him because of his allergy. What of now? Will he pull through?”  
  
Deathly still lay the room as Tavi and Corvi absorbed the cold and frightened words of Sir Plucki.  
  
“We… can’t say. I’m sorry.”  
  
“No! What do you mean you don’t know?? You’re the Gummadoon Council, aren’t you? Aren’t you??” Corvi demanded, a new terror building.  
  
“Gumlittle…” Flurryfeather indicated the distraught squire.  
  
With a nod, Sir Gumlittle took Corvi by the arm. “Lad… We’ll do everything we can. He’s strong. He wants to live. C’mon. Standing here bellowing won’t help. He needs his rest.” With such gentle urgings, the big gummi knight led Corvi away.  
  
“Aunt Toffi, something’s wrong, isn’t there?” Tavi felt certain. Felt as sure as she’d been about anything.   
  
Councilor Wooddale, Toffi to her niece, nodded gravely.  
  
“We have no means of determining from what source this illness came?” Spinwillow asked.  
  
“Why don’t you use your magic?” Tavi suggested, impatient.  
  
The Council turned to Tavi. Flurryfeather answered. “Child, we can’t heal with magic. You know that.”  
  
“_Yes_ I know but can’t ya use it to find the source?”  
  
The adults looked at one another and blinked.  
  
Wooddale replied, “We could try.”  
  
“Finally! What do we do first?” Eager to help, Tavi wrung her hands.  
  
“You? Nothing. You’re a bit young to start at the top, don’t you think?”   
  
Flurryfeather’s head tilted to one side, regarding the gummi girl.  
  
It wasn’t meant to be rude but Tavi took immediate offense. “But I wanna help! I AM helping!”  
  
“Sir Plucki,” Berrybottom interrupted. “Perhaps Tavi could help you look up the medical records Sarrika keeps. We must know who has never had Cub’s   
Fever and keep them away from anyone who has had contact with Sir Blastus. Including you, Tavi. You might be contagious, and don’t tell us you didn’t go in. We’re fairly sure you did. Can’t keep away when others need help.” He smiled gently.  
  
Tavi blushed, then gulped. She did, and they were right there. The last thing she wanted was to spread the fever to others.  
  
“Come.” Sarrika waved the two on ahead of her, toward the back of the clinic, where she kept her meticulous records.

* * *

  
Sir Ramsei heard the shouting but he’d been up late after a lecture from Sir Plucki. He did _not_ need to be reminded never again to say the ‘b-word’ to the cubs. Silly. Silly reaction from them, and silly reaction from the young cubs. He simply didn’t get it. Being clean was part of being a knight. The cubs should embrace it as part of their training. And the other knights should not laugh it off.  
  
Ramsei sighed, knowing he couldn’t ignore the commotion outside, just as he could not ignore that he’d never had cubs of his own and therefore little experience with children. Except for Aldi… He sat up, trying not to think of the loss, nor the fact there could be no one to blame but himself. After all, he was as set on going after Zorlock as Plucki, and left his sister and nephew -- unknown sick -- to stand by his brother-in-law. It was supposed to be a day of triumph, returning with the news that they’d finally imprisoned the terrible wizard. Only… No. He would never feel truly triumphant again. Never again.  
  
But there was trouble afoot. Sir Ramsei pushed on his boots and stamped out, ready to demand the meaning of the early raised voices, when he burst into the hall and saw absolutely no one around. A brow quirked at the oddity, he headed down. The Council might know what was about.  
  
It seemed that nearly everyone over the age of 5 had had Cub’s Fever, thank Gum. Plucki was beginning to feel a tad easier about the whole situation. There weren’t too many cubs under 5 and most of those weren’t around the knights. Only Maci of the pages and he could be stopped from coming over, or if he happened to get sick, at least he was young enough to overcome it.  
  
Tavi looked up with a great sigh. “Is that all of the records? We only got about ten names on the list.”  
  
“Yes. This may not be so bad.” Plucki ruffled her hair, trying not to think of Blastus sick. Anything but that.  
  
“Good, cuz I really need to talk to Cubbi. Am I off quarantine then?” She put her hands to her hips.  
  
Sarrika inhaled sharply. Plucki’s eyes got big. Cubbi…  
  
Sarrika spoke it. “Do you know, Sir Plucki? Has he had Cub’s Fever?”  
  
After everything the cub had _already_ been through?! Plucki’s teeth ground. “No. I don’t know. But we’d better find out.”  
  


* * *

  
Cubbi slept still but after all he had been through he was still not feeling quite comfortable enough to tell his mentor now.  Cubbi opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the room were he now called home.  He thought how much had happened to him in the last few months and the changes in his life that he was going through to make his dream of becoming a full Gummi Knight.  As he laid there holding his teddy bear that he had since he was a very young cub, he looked at it, surprised as long as he had it, it was still looked quite good, loved and a little worn but still in good shape.  He still was thinking as he heard his door open and the light of the hallway beaming into his sleepy eyes.  As Cubbi squinted to keep the bright light out of his eyes, he heard a voice.  "Cubbi, are you awake?"    
  
Cubbi instantly recognized it; it was Plucki. "Yeah, P-plucki?" He was scared that he would get in trouble for being awake so late in the night though he supposed he should not have been. He worried too much.  As the knight entered and approached, Cubbi noticed that Plucki was in his robe and sleeping clothing, Cubbi looked puzzled, wondering if something was wrong.  
  
"Cubbi I need to ask you a question, before you came to live here and do your knight training, do you remember if you have ever had "Cub's Fever?""  Cubbi looked puzzled at the question; he had colds and many such cub hood illnesses but he looked confused at the question Plucki had just asked him.  
  
"Cub's Fever?"  
  
Plucki sat on the cub's bed, "Yes, Cub's Fever."  
  
Cubbi shrugged "I dunno, never heard of it. Grammi mighta but she never told me."  
  
Plucki closed his eyes; that was the answer he had been dreading. Cubbi was especially at risk if he had never even heard of the illness. That meant that it had probably not been around the Glen for several generations. If Cubbi caught it now, then it could be a worse case than any of the other squires or pages who had a slight advantage.   
  
"Plucki?"  
  
The knight turned and was met with a cub's overly concerned eyes. "Why do you ask, Plucki? What's goin' on?"  
  
Plucki smiled, faintly, and gently ruffled the boy's short hair. "You're too smart, little lad." Cubbi pouted at him, puffing out his lower lip. The defiant look in his eyes said plainly "don't call me little." Plucki chuckled low in his throat and stroked the cub's cheek, something he had taken to doing whenever he had something serious to discuss. "Blastus caught a strain of it. It's fairly serious with adults and cubs can catch it easy so we want to try and prevent an outbreak if we can."  
  
Realization shimmered in Cubbi's eyes and he nodded "Oh…"  
  
"Gumlittle and I need to stay with Blastus, lad, to help him anyway we can."  
  
Cubbi nodded, not complaining at all. "Will he die?"  
  
Plucki sighed but he never lied. Not to a cub, not to anyone and he wouldn't lie to Cubbi. "We can't say Cubbi. We'll try as hard as we can and if I know Blastus, he's too stubborn to succumb to this. But…"  
  
"…you can't promise it?"  
  
"No, Cubbi, I'm afraid I can't."  
  
Cubbi bit his lip and Plucki smiled. "Gumlittle and I are going to stay with him and help him out. I'm going to turn you boys over to Ramsei for a bit. Can you hang in with him as mentor for a few days?"  
  
Cubbi nodded "Just help Blastus."  
  
"Good lad."  
  


* * *

  
"Cubs Fever?!" Ramsei couldn't believe this…that illness was nearly wiped out! It was almost unheard of! It had been more common when he was younger but that had been a while ago. The last real outbreak they'd had had been when he, Plucki and the others had been cubs. He and Plucki had been about twelve. To hear of a comeback of it --and it first showing in an adult Blastus' age!-- was unbelievable.  
  
Councilor Tosslewind nodded, solemnly, "Afraid so. Sarrika has confirmed it."  
  
Ramsei frowned, almost angrily but there was concern in his normally stoic eyes. "Any word on how bad he is?"  
  
"Sir Plucki and Gumlittle said they were going to stay with him. They'll be over quarantine in a few days but you know how they are with one another."  
  
Ramsei nodded and a half smile broke through his face. _Everyone_ knew how close those three were. Heck, Aldi had called them "Unca" as well as him, although they weren't technically related. Ramsei sighed at the memory. It had been Papa, Mama, Uncle Rams, Unca Little and Unca Blast'a. Ecri and Yaci had come in as squires about the time Aldi died and Aldi had become pretty good playmates with them. Ramsei mentally shook his head. Yaci was gone now too, dead. Ecri…well, he might as well have been dead too.  
  
Ever since the battle, the knight had kept quiet. He did what he was meant to do and then some. He threw himself into his duties and neither Blastus nor any of the others had managed to con a single word out of him. Every time Ramsei saw him, he got an empty face, blood shot eyes and all in all, a knight with no life left within him. He had discussed Ecri a few times with Plucki. The Gummi Captain was very close to ordering him to see a mind healer but he didn't want to force him into it if he could help it.  
  
"-amsei?"  
  
The knight shook himself out his thoughts, "Yes councilor?"  
  
"You might want to discuss some things with Plucki. Don't enter sick bay. We don't want you becoming a carrier but see what our Captain plans to do."  
  
"Of course." The knight turned and headed out of the room. He walked past some of the squires' rooms and past Blastus' empty quarters. Knights had more than bedrooms; they typically had small little homes called their quarters although the blue ranking knights' quarters were usually big enough to be called their own wing. Ramsei had a small kitchen, bedroom, sitting and living room in his quarters. His senior knights had larger ones. But Blastus' quarters were usually well lit by this time. Seeing the doorway dark and lifeless made him shiver mentally.   
  
Ramsei stuck his head in the room across from Blastus' quarters, or one of the rooms. Flynn and Corvi had their room right across from their mentor. Flynn was still asleep and the knight decided he best not disturb the cub yet. Not until Plucki gave orders of what to do in any event. Glancing in Corvi's room, he saw the preteen was already up.  
  
"Corvus?"  
  
Corvi turned, as he always did when he was called but he was quicker when they used his real name. Seeing it was Ramsei, he relaxed. The blue knight always called him Corvus. He was so formal…he called everyone by their real name. He was always Corvus; Toni was called Antonius by Ramsei every time. Even the pages were called their real names, like Dennus.   
  
Corvi mentally shook his head at the knight's dark eyes. Ramsei used to be a lot, well…warmer. When Corvi was five, before Aldi had died, Ramsei had been the one that had given Blastus the idea for his nickname, although unintentionally. Corvi bit his lip at the thought. As much as the name humiliated him, he'd have given anything at that moment to hear Blastus affectionately call him "my little lamb."  
  
"What are you doing up, Corvus?"  
  
"I heard about Blastus" came the cub's simple answer. "You expect me to go back to sleep after that?"  
  
Ramsei just nodded, "Staying up and worrying won't help matters at all, Corvus." He didn't mean to sound scolding or stern. He could understand why Corvi would be the most concerned of the squires. He depended on Blastus the most especially in the past three years, since the cub's father Sir Gustav had been killed in battle.   
  
Corvi just nodded, "Don't tell me how to feel or act. Just keep me updated, Sir Ramsus."  
  
"That I can do."  
  
"Good."  
  
Ramsei decided it best to leave the cub be. Corvi normally was very mature and well behaved but when he was worried, as he was now, he got snappy, cranky and sometimes downright mean. Ramsei normally would have told the boy to march himself down to the stables and start cleaning for his attitude but given the situation, he let it pass.  
  
Corvi waited and when Ramsei had closed the door behind him, the teen threw himself on his bed, tears clouding his vision. He dug under his pillow and found a stuffed animal he had taken comfort in for about three years, although it was always in private. Blastus had given it to him the night his father had passed away, after he'd taken him back to the palace. Ironically, his mother had been in labor with his youngest brother, Cori, at the time.  
  
 ** _Three Years Ago_**  
  
"Go 'way! Leave me alone!"  
  
Corvi buried his face under his pillow, choking on fresh sobs building up in his throat. He didn't want to see anyone right now. He didn't want to be reminded of the life going on outside his chamber's door. He didn't want to remember the brother being born that very moment without a father. He didn't want to revisit the scene that kept repeating itself throughout his mind.   
  
He'd entered the battle field to help, in any way that he could. The knights were having difficulties. His father had fought valiantly and Corvi remembered secretly cheering him on, watching for the time when his father and his mentor, Blastus, would help Plucki and the others to fall this villain. He imagined the victories, the cheers…  
  
They never came.   
  
His father had fallen right in front of him, blood pooling on the normally green grass. At first, Corvi had thought that his father was playing dead to distract the enemy and perhaps he was going to rise back up and attack. However, as the attack had worn on, he had never moved. It had taken Corvi up until Blastus and Ramsei had come over and brushed his father's eyes shut to realize his father had been killed.  
  
"Corvi?"  
  
The cub drew his face from his pillow, tears blurring his vision. He wanted to be left alone, to cry alone. Yet, at the same time, he wanted some comfort. His mother was in labor with his last sibling or she would have been right by his side. He longed for someone to give him comfort and yet at the same time, he wanted to be left to his tears.  
  
Blastus sat down on the cub's bed and stroked the boy's long golden hair. Corvi looked at him, tears still staining his cheeks. Blastus smiled, gently, and rubbed the cub's face with one of his fingers. Corvi grasped one of his mentor's fingers and whimpered, "Not fair. I want Daddy." He proceeded to burst into fresh tears and having no place available to wipe his nose, he smeared it on Blastus' arm.  
  
Blastus made no reaction to the motion and instead patted his lap, "Come here, petit celui."  
  
Corvi crawled over into his mentor's lap and laid his head onto his shoulder, crying. Blastus cradled the boy's head and started to stroke his long golden locks again. The cub started to scream and wail, saying "Why, Blastie? WHY? It's not fair! Daddy was supposed to be there when I got knighted. Daddy was supposed to be there with Mama RIGHT NOW! WHY?!"  
  
Blastus couldn't give an answer to that that the cub would accept or appreciate. The fact was simply: death _wasn't_ fair and the cub was right. It _wasn't_ fair that the cub had to lose his father. But the fact remained that it had happened and there was nothing more to do except deal with it and try to move on. That was hard for even an adult to do, let alone a child.  
  
"Don't go Blastie!"  
  
Blastus was jerked from his thoughts by the cub's tearful plea. He looked down and the cub met his eyes with tear filled ones. "Go? What do you mean, little lamb?" he said softly, using his nickname for the cub. Corvi buried his face deeper into the knight's shoulder, sobbing. He dug his claws into Blastus' arm, as deep as he could.  
  
"Don't go away like Daddy did! Don't leave me too!"  
  
Blastus was stunned. No wonder the cub was clinging to him so. He was afraid, not surprising, that Blastus would die too. After all, the cub's father had been a knight and he had gotten killed. Blastus was the sole other male figure in the boy's life and over the years, since the boy had become his very young page at three years, they'd gotten extremely close. Corvi looked to Blastus as a second father and the knight knew it. He tilted the boy's head up, talking to him gently,"Little lamb, Blastie's not leaving."  
  
Corvi buried his face into Blastus' chest. Blastus gently turned the cub's head, "I'll be here as often as I can be, little lamb." Corvi nodded, wiping at his eyes. Blastus grinned at him, "Mais, when I can't be, you hang onto this, alright?" Blastus drew a small package out of his knapsack, something he'd picked up when he'd headed back to the palace.  
  
Corvi took the small box, blinking at Blastus. "It's yours, little lamb. Open it up."  
  
Corvi ripped the paper off, reaching into the box. He removed a small black lamb, stuffed with feathers, a rarity for play toys. He stared at Blastus and the French knight grinned and thumbed the boy's nose. "A little lamb for my little lamb."  
  
 ** _:Present::_**  
  
"Plucki?"  
  
The Gummadoon Captain turned at the voice at the doorway. Sarrika smiled faintly; it was obviously a struggle to do so in the current situation but she was trying to keep her spirits up. Plucki and Gumlittle had promptly glued themselves to Blastus' bedside, not that it surprised her any. When they'd gotten sick the first time, only by putting their beds side by side could she even keep them in bed! Plucki and Gumlittle hadn't caught serious cases but because Blastus had been allergic, it didn't help.  
  
"Ramsei is here. He wants to know what you plan to do."  
  
Plucki turned to Blastus, rubbed the younger knight's forehead with a wet cloth and got up, telling Gumlittle to watch Blastus for him. He headed to the doorway and inquired, "You've heard Ramsei?"  
  
"Yes, Captain." Ramsei's eyes were full of concern "How is he?"  
  
"Bad."  
  
Ramsei nodded, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief moment. "What do you wish me to do?"  
  
"Gumlittle and I need to stay with Blastus. Can you take over for a few days? Guide the squires."  
  
"I'll do that, Plucki."  
  
Plucki nodded, faintly, but upon hearing Blastus turn over in agony, he vanished back inside and the door shut in Ramsei's face.

* * *

  
  
Ramsei faced the squires, his face serious. The commotion had woken the boys and it seemed pointless to get them back to sleep. Most of the boys had questions and all of them wanted to know why their mentors weren't going to be available for a while. He'd told the boys that to make it safer for them and the knights that they better go home until Blastus was better. They would come for training of course but it would be best for them to spend the nights at home. The one exception was Cubbi, simply because his home was too far away.  
  
"Will Blastie be okay?" Flynn looked ready to cry.  
  
"He'll be fine, Flynn. But you boys are to listen to me until Plucki and the others are back in commission. Is that understood?"  
  
He got nods from Corvi, Toni, Flynn, Martinni….wait a minute! "Boys, where's Cubbi?"  
  
The squires exchanged glances and shrugged. Ramsei growled under his breath. It wasn't even seven yet and he'd already lost one of the boys! Suppressing the urge to curse, he turned to Corvi. "Corvus, you're in charge of getting them breakfast and off to tutoring. I'll see if I can track down the rogue one." The teen nodded and gently ushered the cubs towards the kitchen.  
  
Ramsei watched them leave before turning his attention to possible areas the cub might have run off to. He knew it wasn't sick bay because if Plucki had seen the cub in there, there would have been a lecture going on that Gum herself could hear. He thought a moment and then checked the squires' playroom. No luck. He chanced a glance outside and decided to try the training field, knowing all too well of the cub's love and passion for becoming a knight. But that was a no-show as well. He was about to head back inside when he heard a fierce whinny from the stables.  
  
The scene that greeted him was almost enough to make him fall to the ground laughing. Cubbi was clinging to one of the unicorn's lead ropes but the stallion had lifted him completely off the ground! The persistent cub however wasn't about to give up and used the situation to straddle the stallion's neck, bringing its cries to a halt.  
  
"What are you doing, Sir Cubbi?"  
  
The cub turned and was immediately defensive. "I'm helping! Blastus could well be dyin' and Plucki's gotta stay with him. If I can't help him in sick bay then I'll help him any other way I can." His eyes narrowed "And I mean that with every speck of spunk I got."


	7. Chapter 7

Though the scene humored him, Sir Ramsei never let laughter ruin a good disciplinary action. Unlike his fellows. They often laughed too often, too quick. The thought of being so lax often put a sour peel on his face. And yet, often times, they were right in doing so. Just as Cubbi was right to work. Unlike the others worrying and crying, the lad was showing a maturity he didn’t think existed in the cub, or any cub. Except Aldi…  
  
Berating himself mentally for making any such comparison, Ramsei sighed. “Plucki has much to teach you, squire. About stallions,” And he grabbed the lead rope to lower Cubbi to the ground. He patted the unicorn’s neck and it calmed. “and other things. Do you know his name?”  
  
“Sure. Plucki’s steed’s named after his dad’s. He told me.” Defiant, Cubbi’s chin stuck out. Still hadn’t forgiven Sir Ramsei for trying to keep him out of the fight against Zorlock. “His name’s Sharpsight.”  
  
“Then use it. And maybe then he won’t be so disagreeable to you.” Handing Cubbi the stable brush, Sir Ramsei turned about and hid a silent smirk.  
  


* * *

  
Corvi crept just near to the clinic to hear the awful bustle of nervous physicians and knights. It made him feel sick, and wanting to hate the world. What if Sir Blastus didn’t make it? What if it was happening all over again??  
  
“Stop it!” he hissed at himself. “Yer not helping anything! Get a grip. You gotta do what Ramsei said. Look after the others. Just… just be okay, Blastie. We need you back soon.” Wiping at an errant tear in angry frustration, Corvi turned and ran, seeking something to do.  
  


* * *

  
Meanwhile, Lady Bane plotted. Lady Bane stirred and stewed. Lady Bane made herself some dinner.  
  
Sighing pleasantly at her reflection, her beautiful young face, the evil sorceress magically whipped up a small feast in anticipated celebration. Soon the Gummadoon’s child-knight would be dead, after a lengthy and much deserved painful and agonies wait.  
  
Especially for his pitiful meddling comrades in arms! Cackling, the young-looking witch threw in a handful of garlic and smelled her brewing banquet. Soon, those wretched gummies would be bowing in mercy to her, and she would give none.  
  
Councilors Flurryfeather, Spinwillow, Berrybottom, Wooddale, and Tosslewind convened in the quiet of the council chambers after Spinwillow guaranteed complete privacy by a special locking spell.  
  
“You’ve all heard from Sarrika.” Wooddale said. “You know her opinion, and the only conclusion we may reach.”  
  
“Sir Blastus wasn’t out, wasn’t around anyone with Cub’s Fever. You can’t catch it just out of nowhere.” Tosslewind put in, making the point of what they had all come to realize. “It’s magic. Devious magic.”  
  
Berrybottom nodded. “Agreed.”  
  
They did not speak of who or what could have done this. They all had a pretty fair idea. What mattered now, and what became the only topic of discussion, was how to combat Cubs’ Fever now that it was decidedly magic-born. Little could be concluded, however. It was just so unheard of. Such disregard for life. Such malicious intent! Much shaking of heads ensued, as well as mutterings of the unknown.  
  
“There must be something. The Spell of Argus the Great?” Flurryfeather asked.  
  
“Only for children, and it requires six wizards, not five.”  
  
“Couldn’t we revert him to child form first and get it to work?”  
  
“No, no. It says clearly here that…”  
  
Tavi, listening in secret, was getting very frustrated. She could help. She KNEW she could. If they’d let her. But she didn’t want to tell them her secret just yet. She didn’t want anyone to know. Not yet. But… if it meant helping Sir Blastus, and they needed six wizards…  
  
She crept toward the group and touched the spell of locking, willing it away. She took a deep breath and went to her aunt’s side. Amid the shocked faces of the council elders, Tavi focused only on Wooddale, her Aunt Toffi. She’d listen, right? She’d understand? She had to!  
  
“I heard you talking about helping Sir Blastus, and--”  
  
“Child, how did you get IN here?? Why, this is.. It‘s…” Berrybottom sputtered.  
  
Wooddale calmed him with a raised hand. She silenced the others starting to speak with a mere look. To Tavi, her little niece, she kneeled. Yes, she knew. Hard not to. If the others weren’t so absorbed in other things of late, they’d have known, too. The power reeked off the cub like the smell of a rejuvenating bath. But Wooddale knew it was best to let the child speak her peace, be brave about bringing it up herself. To handle this budding force correctly may be the key in saving them all one day. “Yes, Tavi? What have you to say for yourself?” Quirking a brow at the cub in warning, Wooddale knew this was exactly the way to handle Tavi. For now.  
  
Tavi would not take this sitting down as she kept the serious look of determination on her face.  She knew if Sir Blastus died, along with his death it would possibly kill Corvi because she knew he was on the edge.  Tavi also knew that the only way they could save Blastus life was to use the regress spell that would return him to childhood; he'd be in the body of a child but have the mind of his present day form.  
  
If that's what they had to do, then they would.  
  


* * *

  
  
Corvi sat picking at his food, trying desperately not to cry, wondering if he was soon going to be all alone in his life again, he'd lost his father and now it was looking like he was about to lose his mentor and second father.  Corvi kept the pain inside but he kept thinking as he picked at his food, "WHY GUM, why are you doing this to me."  Corvi ate very little, but he did eat, just to hide that he was very worried about his mentor.  
  
He was also worried about his brothers and mother. His two brothers were starting to show up more, saying Mama needed more help lately. He could understand why. She had to run their small farm and raise two boys on her own, since his father was dead. His youngest brother, Cori, was going through the toddler years full force. No wonder she was at her wits' end. And judging by Morri's reports, she had a cold or something.   
Just great.

* * *

  
Lady Bane growled under her breath. She should have figured they would have some way to counter magic with magic. Still, she supposed this gave her another chance to try a different spell. Perhaps one more subtle. She had many options. One thing she had always envied on Zorlock was his ability of possession. Perhaps, with this book of ancient spells, that was open to her as well.  
  
Flipping through her pages, she discovered with delight that indeed it was! She was nearly giddy with excitement. But, who to try it out on? None of the important figures, too obvious. She thought over the gummies she had available before deciding to simply let the spell decide upon the one more vulnerable. Spells that did that would search one's soul. She would just have to figure out how she could use the gummi to her advantage later…  
  
Cubbi's fingers ached but he kept it up. He'd finished brushing Sharpsight and had moved onto Sir Gumlittle and Sir Blastus' unicorns, Shadowspeed and Vite specifically. He wondered how much longer his hands would last. All he knew now was to brush back, brush back, brush back. He had to stand on his tiptoes to get near Shadowspeed's neck and the stretching was starting to get to his muscles but he didn't care.   
  
By the time he finished with the last unicorn, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He hadn't just done the main knights; he'd done all the unicorns he could. He'd had little trouble with them, it was just time consuming. He'd stopped briefly, at Sir Ramsei's insistence to get something to eat and drink. Now, as night fell the small pink cub wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He wasn't done yet though. The unicorns needed fresh water and grain for the night so Cubbi set out to the nearby aqueduct, where the knights gathered water for the stallions and mares and, if need be, refilled their canteens.  
  
Filling up the bucket was like pulling teeth. He dropped it several times in the process and he stumbled when he carried it and filled the trough. Luckily, the knights had a big trough that they pumped into each individual stall. The boy nearly got there on his fifth trip only to lose his balance, spilling the water all over the ground. He growled through his teeth,   
  
"Stupid, stupid gravity."  
  
Yelling at the dark isn't going to make it turn into day.  
  
Cavin had told him that. Cubbi remembered that. Cavin had been telling him a little about being a page and then a squire. Whenever Cubbi had gotten frustrated at something, Cavin had remarked that comment to him. He'd said that his grandfather had taught him that. Cubbi had never really understood the phrase but rather than ask, he'd acted as if he did. However, now he was beginning to understand, a little. He had meant that Cubbi could complain all he wanted but it wouldn't change anything.  
  
  
 ** _Two Years Ago_**  
  
"Cavin, are you done yet?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
The boy pouted but sat by the fence, waiting. Cavin finished shoveling hay into a stall and then lifted his friend off the fence by the scruff of his neck. In the gummi culture that would usually mean that he was in trouble but among the two boys, it had become a gesture of brotherhood and affection. Similar to when Cubbi would climb onto Cavin's shoulders. Cubbi playfully laughed and Cavin set him up on one of his shoulders.  
  
"Better?"  
  
Cubbi smirked "Yeah…I can actually see things now."  
  
Cavin walked out to the well and dipped the bucket down into the cool water at the bottom. Cubbi kept a firm grip on Cavin's shoulder. Had it been any earlier, he couldn't have because of the threat of being seen. However, with the day late, not many people were outside so Cavin figured it was safe to have the little gummi cub in view. In fact, the two friends had been getting ready to turn in for the night when Cavin had remembered he had to get a bucket of water for the next morning.  
  
"Cavin, you carry the bucket different than Grammi."  
  
The human boy smiled "Well, I'll carry it by the handle sometimes" He adjusted his hands so that he carried the bucket by the bottom. "This way is easier. I use the handle if I only have a little bit or I only have to go a little ways."   
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, look Cubbi…" the boy moved the bucket to hold it by its handle. Water sloshed out as he walked. Cubbi nodded, feeling a little foolish. Cavin just smiled at him though. Cubbi shook his head, laughing. What was it about Cavin that always put him at ease? The human did. Cubbi used to think it was because that human boy was the first real friend he'd ever had but it was more than that.  
  
There was a loyalty between them that Cubbi loved. He never doubted that Cavin would help him, never.  Cavin had proved that a thousand times over, a million times over. In fact, the two had even made a pact with one another to never abandon each other. So far, nothing had ever come up where that was even tested but if it did come up, Cubbi had no doubts about what would happen.   
  
In fact, the one thing that greatly disturbed the gummi boy was the realization that if it ever came to revealing their secrets, Cavin would rather die for treason than betray their word. That scared him. Cavin meant a great deal to him, like the big brother he'd never had. Laying his head against the human boy's, Cubbi just relaxed in the comfort. Before long, the late hour and relaxing scent of his best friend caused the gummi cub to drift off.  
  
Cavin looked up at his best friend who'd leaned against his head. The boy looked pretty comfortable and relaxed so the human page let him be. He snuck up the stairs, being careful not to be seen. He poured the bucket into his bedside bowl, for washing his face and hands in the morning or for a drink in the night and gently picked Cubbi off his neck. The cub never moved. He laid the boy down in his bed before he pulled his boots off and laid down by the boy. Cavin loved this as much as Cubbi; Cavin had never had many friends, if any. His grandfather had raised him because his mother had died in labor and the first wave of the Black Plague killed his father. But as a result, he'd never really had any really close friends, not until Cubbi.  
  
Curling up against the tiny gummi cub, he closed his eyes and savored it.  
  
 ** _:Present::_**  
  
Cubbi blinked away his homesickness and dipped the bucket into the water again, this time adjusting it so he carried it by the bottom. Some water still spilled out, most of it back on him, soaking his tunic front but the majority remained in the bucket. He had to stretch up on his tiptoes to pour it into the trough but the trough was slowly but assuredly filling up.   
  
Back and forth, back and forth. His arms were starting to ache by the time he finally got it filled and climbed up to release it into the individual troughs. Luckily, that went without a hitch. It was getting down that required a little thinking. Cubbi finally just jumped, although he was a good ways up. He'd jumped out of trees higher but that was always into a swimming hole.  
  
"Watch it shrimp."  
  
Cubbi blinked when he found himself caught. A younger knight, yellow level, with wild black hair and dark green fur, was holding him and slowly lowered him to the ground. Age wise, the knight was young, probably in his early twenties, and had only recently been moved up from green to yellow ranking. He had a dark forest green patch on his chin, an old burn that was still healing. Cubbi couldn't recall his name though…  
  
"Timothi, kiddo."  
  
Cubbi blinked, "huh?"  
  
"My name's Sir Timothi."  
  
"I…I knew that."  
  
"Sure you did." Came the casual reply. "You still working ,shrimp? Last I checked, the squires were to be heading home and to bed."  
  
"I can't go home. It's too far to come back for training. And don't call me shrimp!"  
  
"Okay, squirt. So, shouldn't you be heading into bed?"  
  
Cubbi sighed "Yeah…I just wanted to get the grain out to the unicorns first."  
  
Timothi eyed the boy curiously. When he'd been a squire, he'd have avoided work like the plague. Yet, this little one, and a new squire at that, was pouring himself into it. He eyed the boy's armband, on his left wrist and caught Plucki's seal. So…this was the Captain's new squire? Spunky one! He smiled at the lad though and offered him his canteen. "Least drink something."  
  
Cubbi accepted it graciously; he was hot! Not to mention achy but he wasn't about to tell Timothi that. However, he did drain the canteen almost completely. Handing it back to Timothi, he wiped his mouth on his arm "Thanks, Sir Timothi."  
  
"No problem. A word of advice, kid, next time you decide to work like Plucki, bring water."  
  
Cubbi had to laugh at that. "Plucki works like this?"  
  
"Heck yeah. You'd think were always in the middle of a war by the way he works. You're definitely his squire. Maybe they shoulda named you Spunki!"  
  
"Ew, that's a GIRL'S name!"  
  
Timothi just smirked at the lad, "Won't Sir Ramsei be a little irked you aren't in bed?"  
  
Cubbi folded his arms, "He'll live. I told him I'd come in when I finished the work I was doing and I will."  
  
Timothi smiled "So, you just have to do the grain?"  
  
Cubbi nodded. Timothi took the boy by the arm and led him to a storage room, unlocking it with his key "You'll need someone to unlock it, spunky."  
  
Cubbi blushed red in the cheeks "Oh…"  
  
Timothi just ruffled his hair and said with a laugh "Have at it Spunky. I'll tell Ramsei where you are at least."  
  
Cubbi was already caught up in the work and didn't hear a word he said.  
  


* * *

  
"Any better?"  
  
Gumlittle shook his head when he greeted Plucki. The Captain had gone to sick bay's wash room for a quick bath and came back out in shorts. Gumlittle greeted him with a sad, depressed face and just shook his head. "No, nothing. He hasn't had any dreams from what I can tell but he's in pain." As if to prove it, Blastus moaned and curled up deeper into ball.  
  
Plucki stroked the knight's hair, "Don't you leave us Blastus, hear me?"  
  
He got no answer.   
  
The door was knocked on at that point. Little Tavi walked in, in her nightdress and a cloak. She looked nervous but determined. "Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle. How's Blastus?"  
  
"Bad, lass."  
  
Fidgeting, Tavi replied "The Council found out it's magic-born."  
  
"Magic?"  
  
She nodded. "Auntie said that we can try a spell to counteract it but there's no guarantee that it'll work. Said it was the Spell of Argus the Great, whoever he was."  
  
Plucki and Gumlittle exchanged glances. They'd learned about that spell in tutoring and the boys would be coming upon the topic pretty soon. From what they knew of it, it was a spell to rid cubhood illness from a body but it was extremely complicated. Required a lot of chanting and concentration as well as six wizards, as some gummi cities had. However, Gummadoon had only five so how could they possibly cast it?  
  
The door opened and the Gummadoon Council padded in, one at a time, Wooddale and Berrybottom being last. Wooddale waked over to her niece for a moment and smiled to her, giving her a few words of encouragement. Flurryfeather approached the ill Sir Blastus and touched his forehead, muttering a few words. A bright flash followed, one that made Gumlittle and Plucki shield their eyes. When the glow faded and they could see again, they recognized the spell: an age regression spell. Of course, if that was used then the spell of removal could be cast…but how with only five wizards? They watched the council for answers.  
  
Wooddale held her hand out to Berrybottom who took it. Flurryfeather clasped his. Tosslewind took that hand and Spinwillow clasped that one. Shw paused and then turned to Wooddale's young niece. She stretched her older hand out and clasped the little hand of the seven year old sorceress-in-training. The little girl grabbed hold of her aunt's hand with her other hand.   
  
If Plucki and Gumlittle weren't shocked before, they were now.

* * *

  
Toni pushed his way into his mother's house, half pouting. He hated the fact he had to go home. He hated going home. His mother fed him and clothed him but he got more affection from bugs than he did from her. She didn’t even try. She hadn’t wanted him and he knew it. She tried the best she could but it was hard when she never wanted children in the first place. Gumlittle was much more fun. Gumlittle would tell him stories, read to him, play with him…his mother did none of that.  
  
"Mother, I'm home for a few days."  
  
"Fine Antonius."  
  
Toni sighed and trudged upstairs into his bedroom. It was bare as always. Toni pulled his stuffed fish from his knapsack and hugged it tight. Gumlittle had given it to him when he became his page and Toni clung to it. It was the only toy he had. He didn't dare tell the knights that though. His mother tried but she didn't want this or him and that wasn't her fault. There was nothing wrong with that. Not every gummi wanted children.   
  
Still….Toni's father was never home. He'd been an unwanted surprise and his father only came home to see his mother. He would acknowledge him but there was no love between them and Toni knew it. Never would be. He sighed, dreading these next few days of boredom. He would help with the chores but that was about it. He and his mother wouldn't talk.  
  
However, if Toni knew what was going to happen the next three days, he would have welcomed boredom but a certain spell saw evil potential in Toni's neglectful mother and meant to take full advantage of it. As Toni took his evening bath, Toni's mother left her eyes and Lady Bane looked out through her eyes. She spied Toni's armband, Gumlittle's seal imprinted on it thrown atop his squire uniform and she smirked…oh yes, this had MUCH potential.


	8. Chapter 8

"Antonius! Hurry up! You're a lazy cub, you know that?"  
  
Toni, startled, splished water out of the bath. "Uh... Okay!"  
  
And he thought they wouldn't be speaking! Frowning in concern over her unusual tone, he grabbed a towel and mopped up the splash. She'd never called him lazy before...  
  
It didn't end there. As soon as he stepped out of the washroom, there she stood, hands on her hips.  
  
"You call that clean? You're worthless lately. I can't count on you to help with anything, get it done the way it should be done." With a blustery sigh, she twirled about, her skirts swirling at her ankles, and down the hall she marched.  
  
Stunned, Toni couldn't help the flush of his cheeks. He sniffed himself, checked his hands. And he thought, I guess I could have done a better job...

* * *

  
 ** _::In Gummadoon::_**  
  
Plucki and Gumlittle kept their mouths shut. They'd ask later why Tavi, a mere apprentice, was helping to cast a difficult and potentially dangerous spell on their poorly-fairing brother-in-arms. In fact, knowing that negativity could sometimes affect magic, and they would not be party to that, they both exited the room. That, and they could keep anyone from entering and disrupting the spell. Well, no chance of that with Sirs Plucki and Gumlittle on guard!  
  
Little comfort it was, and they both knew it. The hall was silent. Deathly still. Er... Not deathly still. Think of something else... Gumlittle had to get the idea out of his head. Think of _anything_ else! Like... like... What were the squires and pages doing? Hopefully resting comfortably. And Ramsei keeping young Cubbi away from here so he couldn't catch the same. Cub's Fever was an ancient illness. If Cubbi's clan had no knowledge of it, even a cub like him might not withstand its throws. Best not to tempt fate. Gum swings the hands of that wheel in strange ways sometimes...  
  
Plucki glanced over at his fellow knight, his other best friend. "I'm sure it'll work. The Council knows--"  
  
"Yeah. I know." Gumlittle settled to a crouch, closing his eyes. He didn't feel like talking to the ever-optimistic Plucki. Best friends were one thing. Reality was trying to creep up on him and he was fighting it by not thinking of the events going on in there. He needn't a reminder. He needed to get his mind off it!  
  
Plucki sighed, kept to a stand, and kept his thoughts to himself. He knew the Council wasn't perfect. With a wild card like Tavi in play... No. They had to have a chance. The Council wouldn't risk Sir Blastus' life if they weren't sure.... Or desperate.  
  
He glanced again at Gumlittle. "Would you like me to get our supper?"  
  
Gumlittle stood in a rush, looking for an excuse to leave. "I'll go. Uh... Be right back."  
  
Plucki watched him go a bit enviously. Was it that Gumlittle thought he was stronger? That he'd been through this before and could now take it? He'd lost his wife, his child, all because of a magic spell sending his loved ones into a dizzying illness he could not catch them from. All because of him. His teeth ground. No, if that were the case, they were all wrong. He knew himself well. He wasn't as strong as everyone thought. He was afraid, worried, and longing to cry over a possible injustice. But he wasn't a cub. He had to be strong for others. By Gum, he hated it, but that's where the matter stood.  
  


* * *

  
  
Cubbi was on his way back to the stables, fighting a tired he wasn't too familiar with. Sure, he got work outs during training, but this was the type of endless task you don't think about because yer set on it or worried and don't have time to think on it. So he really was very tired and just not thinking when he threw the feed over the corral gate... and onto Sir Ramsei.  
  
Sputtering hay, the knight startled him into sputtering an apology. "Uh... Sir Ramsei! Uh... I mean I... Um... Sorry. I'll... I'll clean it up!"   
  
Cubbi hurried into the stall with a rake, tripped, and smacked Sir Ramsei on top of the head with it! Rising slowly, he cringed and turned red when he saw the knight rubbing at his head and his teeth ground in anger. Ramsus let out an air of frustration but he didn't snatch the rake. He picked it up and eyed the young squire. "You're more dangerous with this than you should be." he grumbled.  
  
Cubbi blinked, stood, and stared at the knight. "Y-yessir." He'd sounded like Gruffi. Exactly.  
  
Slapping the mare's rump affectionately, Sir Ramsei passed Cubbi a nod on a job well done and headed out.  
  
"Sir Ramsei? How is Sir Blastus?"  
  
Without turning, Ramsus waved a hand in farewell. "Get some sleep, Cubbi."  
  
Cubbi accepted that, wondering if Sir Ramsei even knew. His mind turned back to the sudden accident-proned nature of his around the knight, and why Ramsei hadn't gotten mad. He'd cracked the knight a good one on his head, but he hadn't yelled. Gruffi definitely would have yelled. At least a little. Still, for a moment, it was like he was home and Gruffi had been after him about using his pebbleshooter in the halls again.  
  
Cubbi did go up to his room, or the room he was now assigned to away from any threat of catching Cub's Fever. He went with a little smile. Not so homesick at the reminder of Gruffi.

* * *

  
Gumlittle did not take long in returning. Brought plates and cups on a tray fully laden. Neither felt like eating much so Plucki was just as glad there sat as comestibles dried fruit, cheese, some bread, and a bit of sliced meat. Enough to last for a wait. A long wait.Plucki took up a cup of water and a handful of cheese cubes. He asked absently, "How fairs young Toni in his training? Improved in staff yet?"  
  
Gumlittle grunted, a bit humored and glad for the distraction. "No. I doubt he's made for that type of fighting, but he gives it a good try. No, I've seen him handle wooden swords, archery, and bolas with a lot more promise. He's got some skill there."  
  
"Hm. Maybe we can work out a better course to get his level up in staff. It isn't something to be neglected in a knight's training just because he isn't good at it yet."  
  
They thought about it a while, talked some, but eventually succumbed to a very long day. They slept outside the door of a deathly sick gummi they considered a brother. Neither slept well, but they did sleep.  
  
The creak of the door startled Plucki and Gumlittle into jumping alertness. At the ready, they turned and met the weary faces of the exiting Gummadoon Council. All but Berrybottom and Wooddale. Weary but not defeated. Spinwillow even smiled and patted Gumlittle's paw.  
  
The two friend knights hurried in.  
  
"It's alright. Everything's as expected." Berrybottom said to slow their onward dash.  
  
Wooddale held an exhausted Tavi in her arms. The poor cub had either fallen asleep immediately or passed out. Plucki hoped it was only sleep.  
  
"By Gum..." came from Gumlittle's mouth, hushed.  
  
Plucki glanced at him. His eyes were on Sir Blastus' bed. Even knowing the affects of the Spell of Argus the Great, Sir Plucki could only stare. Never had he expected to see this sight again. He couldn't help but grin at the very young form, amazed at how the hands of time themselves had been turned back.   
  
Sir Blastus was indeed a cub again.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Stables_**  
  
Cubbi was with Sir Plucki's stead, giving him the next day's brush down. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice saying that Sir Blastus was a cub again that he turned to see Tavi.  Cubbi was confused; it was blazingly early.  
  
"Tavi what are you talking about; what happen to you?"    
  
Tavi was still tried from her experience but had heard Cubbi in the stables. "Cubbi, Sir Blastus is a cub again. It was the only way he could heal at all, as an adult, he was…was ..." she stammered off, trying not to let emotions affect her judgment on what to tell her friend.  Cubbi, not wanting to push the topic anymore, just nodded.  Tavi then walked up to a trap door in the stables and scampered back to her room before her aunt found out she snuck out.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Stables_**  
  
Cubbi wiped the sweat out of his eyes and set back to cleaning and repairing the reins and saddles of the unicorns. It was still dark outside and nearly dawn but he had found it nearly impossible to sleep. He had gotten maybe an hour or two in before he had awakened and been driven to work again. Ramsei would probably yell at him. He didn't care. He had to do something. He felt so useless just sitting there.   
  
"Ow!"  
  
Cubbi yanked his hand away and sucked his fingers. The leather had cut his pointer and thumb finger. He winced and looked at the injury. It wasn't too bad. It tasted bad mainly, like hay, mud and oil. Probably cause of the cleaner he was using on the leather. Plucki had showed it to him shortly after he'd moved in. It tasted horrible but he ignored that fact. Small droplets of blood trailed down his arm.   
  
"Drat…" Cubbi walked over and ran water over the cut. It wasn't serious enough to demand any other attention. Without even thinking about covering it, the cub set his mind back to finishing up this last saddle and rein set before moving onto the unicorns' hooves. They needed cleaned every so often and they were filthy and clogged. After some looking, Cubbi located the tool used for such a purpose and started on Plucki's steed.  
  
Eyes heavy, Cubbi denied sleep. He still had the rest of the unicorns to do. His stomach protested, yelling at him. He ignored it. He didn't wanna go eat. If he did that, he'd be reminded of the potentially dangerous situation. There was no tutoring to day but he hadn't gone to the classes yesterday either and Ramsei hadn't made him. Cubbi was glad for it. The tutor was supposed to send home reports soon for each of the knights to go over and he dreaded his. It wasn't that he didn't try. He tried with all his might. But the facts were…he pretty much still couldn't read. He could read a few words but sounding them out was horrible. With everything going on, he'd never really learned completely. He knew enough that he wasn't seen as stupid but he'd seen how the tutor looked at him. What had she put on that thing? He shook thinking about it and the too slipped, brushing the stallion's leg.  
  
A fierce whiney brought Cubbi back to reality. He swiftly patted the stallion's neck as he'd seen Ramsei do and sure enough after a moment, he calmed. Wincing, the cub said "Sorry, Sharpsight." He grinned and the unicorn nuzzled him. He patted its nose and set back to the task at hand. It didn't take too long to clear out the unicorn's shoes and feet. He moved onto the next stall, then the next and the next. The sun was high in the sky, almost midday by the time he finished the last unicorn. He thought it would have taken him longer but it didn't.   
  
Taking a towel off the stable door, Cubbi wiped the sweat off his forehead. He winced and looked down at his hands. They had about five new blisters but he ignored them. It wasn't that didn't hurt but he wasn't about to weighed down by them. He walked over to a chart the knights kept on the stable's walls, listing everything that had to be done every day. He'd done most of them already: the brushing, the cleaning of the hooves, and fixing the saddles and reins. He had the struggle to read the rest but he managed it, slowly.   
  
"Today we bathe the unicorns, kiddo."  
  
Cubbi whirled around.  
  
Sir Timothi cocked a brow at him. "Kiddo, do you ever sleep?"  
  
"Can't sleep right now. So I work."  
  
"You're crazy, cub."  
  
"Fine. I'm crazy."  
  
Timothi laughed. "Well, you can't bathe the unicorns alone. Want a hand?"  
  
"Sure…"  
  
Timothi chuckled and showed the cub to the platform where they washed them, directing him to get buckets of water and soap and fill the small trough-like container off to the side. Cubbi, always anxious, ran off in that direction and brought back bucket after bucket, soaking his tunic in the process. His little hands looked horrible but if there was one thing Timothi had learned it was that nothing was gonna change this cub's mind. Better not to try and waste his breath.  
  
Leading the first out by the lead rope, Timothi tied the rope fast and then lifted Cubbi up and let him dump the first bucket of water down the stallion's back. Cubbi loved this although Timothi, for the life of him, could not figure out why. Still, it was nice to have a helping hand, even if it was a little helping hand. Setting the cub down, Timothi handed him a brush and let him scrub the unicorn's legs, flank and rear, although reminding him to be mindful of the hooves. Cubbi followed every instruction to the T. In fact, Timothi couldn't remember another time the unicorns got cleaned so well and so fast! He hardly noticed how quickly they went from one to the next. Timothi did put his foot down on Cubbi bathing some of the wilder ones but the cub wasn't dismayed, merely went to the next chore, mucking the stalls.  
  
Why would anyone do that willingly? The knights would try absolutely anything to get out of that chore and yet here was a cub doing it by will alone. Only Corvi of the squires had to do that but Cubbi needed no prompting for it. He didn't make a face or anything, despite how dirty his bare hands and feet became throughout the process. It was well after sunset when the boy finally finished. Taking a breath, he turned around and ran directly in Ramsei.  
  
"sir Ramsei!"  
  
Ramsei didn't say anything but walked past the cub, inspecting his work no doubt. Ramsei didn't act like he wasn't either. He would mutter to himself or make odd 'hmm' sounds in his throat. After what seemed like an eternity, he returned to the child. Cubbi stood there, drenched in sweat and smelling like it too, waiting like a cub eager to see if they would get out of trouble or not. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Excellent work, Sir Cubbi."  
  
Cubbi beamed and Ramsei, despite his gruff exterior could not help but give a faint smile back. "You do good work, cub."  
  
"what else can I do?"  
  
"you need to eat dinner and get some rest."  
  
"can't I-"  
  
"I've been watching you lad. You haven't eaten lunch or breakfast, nor did you sleep very long. I'd have to be convinced to call what you did have a nap it was so short."  
  
Cubbi sighed "I tried. I couldn't sleep. Please…one more chore, please…"  
  
Ramsei sighed. He commended the cub's determination but honestly, how could this child keep going like this?!  
  
"Please…"  
  
"Very well cub but if you're tired or hungry later, you fend for yourself. Nor will I be explaining your exhaustion to your mentor. That will be your job."  
  
"Understood Sir."  
  
"If you want to clear the fields and pastures, you can deposit the waste into the holding pen for the other knights to make into compost tomorrow."  
  
"Okay! Which fields?"   
  
"Right now, do the two on the left. Once the unicorns are brought in from the remaining two, you can clear them as well."  
  
"'Kay! Thank you, Sir Ramsei! I'll do it right! Promise!"  
  
"I've no doubt of that, cub."  
  
Cubbi tore off into the distance and vanished. Ramsei shook his head, closed the gate and walked back to palace to see how the closing duties were coming with the other knights.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Corvi's Home_**  
  
"Big Brother! Big Brother!"  
  
Corvi grinned, dropped to his knees and embraced his three year old brother, Cori, tightly. The small cub squealed and Corvi tossed him up, catching him. He'd been out today, tending to the farm around the house but now it was time to turn in. Morri snuck around the corner, his seven year old brother, and he opened his arm to him too.   
  
"Corv." Morri said softly. "Mama's worse."  
  
"Worse?"  
  
"Yeah…she couldn't even get outta bed this morning! I fixed Cori's breakfast."  
  
"Good. I'm proud of you. Did you two have dinner?"  
  
"Nu uh."  
  
"Thought not. Brought you some fruits and dried meats and cheeses from market."  
  
"You did that?"  
  
"Yep…with my leftover credits."  
  
"You spent your 'lowance on us, Big Brother?"  
  
"It’s no big deal. I'll get some more when Blastus gets better."  
  
"He _will_ get better right?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"And Mama…?"  
  
"Let me see her, okay? You two start eating."  
  
Cori tugged on Corvi's pant leg. "Brother…You change me?"  
  
Corvi blinked. "Still haven't got the hang of potty training yet, huh?"  
  
"Nu uh…"  
  
"You'll learn. Morri, can you do that while I tend to Mama?"  
  
"Sure Corv."  
  
Corvi slowly pushed open his mother's door. "Mama? How are you doing?"  
  
She smiled weakly at her son. "I wish I could say better. Thanks so much for your help, sweetie…"  
  
"Aw, they're annoying but they're my brothers, Mom!"  
  
"I know. You're so good to them."  
  
"Mama? Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Oh, I'll be fine. It's just annoying, sweetheart. You know I hate having to call on you to do some much."  
  
"Don't worry 'bout it Mom. Just rest."  
  
"I intend to. Don't worry so much. Corvi…you're so much like your father that way…"

* * *

  
 ** _Toni's Home_**  
  
"Antonius!"  
  
Toni jumped and ran down the hall. Mother had been very cranky as of lately. Heck, she'd swatted his backside for simply breaking a dish as he tried to help her. She'd always been a believer in spanking but he'd never really gotten many from her. He got more from his mentor than her! She usually ignored whatever he did, just doing it herself. Gumlittle had swatted him once or twice; he'd really spanked him only once when he'd gotten into the weapons' room after being told not to. The other squires teased him for it because he was the only squire who'd ever gotten that type of punishment from their mentor. The knights usually used chores or other things.   
  
"yes Mother?"  
  
"You call this clean?!"  
  
She pointed to the floor. Toni blinked. He'd washed it as best he could which was hard because the cleaner was harsh on his hands and nose. His mother had asked for his help so he'd given it to the best of his ability. What was wrong with it? He dared to ask her that.  
  
"WHAT? You have to ASK?"  
  
"Yes…Mother…how should I clean it better?"  
  
"I can't believe you're so…so…so STUPID you can't tell!"  
  
Toni's throat clogged. She'd called him many things over the years……but never "stupid."  
  
"Stupid Antonius! That's all you are, stupid, stupid, stupid!" She threw the bucket of cleaner at his feet where it splashed over the sides and burnt his feet. He winced and looked up at her.  
  
"Now do it RIGHT!"  
  
"Yes, Mother…"  
  
He got down on his knees and started scrubbing, hoping she couldn't see his tears. She turned off and stormed down the halls, scoffing about,  
  
"I didn't even want a cub and I had to get the DUMB one…"

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sick Bay**_  
  
"His fever's lower, that's good."  
  
Sarrika was very matter-of-fact with the two knights, a trait Plucki had always loved about her. No beating around the bush with this gummi. She said it like it was. That was very helpful in this situation. Gumlittle and Plucki wanted to know the truth, nothing sugar-coated. So far, Sarrika was giving them hope. She gave them a smile and adjusted the ice cloth on the small knight-turned-cub's forehead.  
  
"He does better with you two here. I think he knows you're here."  
  
"He knows." Came the unisonous answer.   
  
She nodded. "If it drops much more, he'll be out of the danger zone."  
  
The two knights only responded with a nod. They knew that meant he could either get much better or much worse. He wasn't out of the danger zone yet. War had taught the two to never celebrate until there was a clear view of victory. Gumlittle sighed, burying his face. Plucki tried to maintain a chipper tone. "Don't worry Gumlittle…you know as well as I that Blastus is too stubborn to succumb to this. We'd never stop pestering him for it."  
  
"<P'ucki...>"  
  
Sir Plucki jerked to attention as did Sarrika, whirling around and rushing to the young cub's bedside. Small, fevered eyes creaked open. Upon seeing Sarrika, he screeched and dove off the bed, hiding underneath Plucki's feet. "<NO! No Med'cine! Nasty! Big Brother save me!>" Wrapping one secure arm around his "brother's" leg, the young Sir Blastus stuck one thumb into his mouth and looked up at the two adult knights, pleading.  
  
"I... suppose that's another good sign." Sarrika commented, kneeling to get a closer look at the bear-turned-cub. How he managed such a feat as leaping out of bed in his condition boggled her. She hadn't known Sir Blastus as a cub naturally. They were roughly the same age. He'd known her profession right away because of her clothing. Healers were hard to miss in their white with lavender symbol. She sighed, glancing up at the two adult knights. "Think you can get him to sit still for me?"  
  
Sir Plucki was trying to take it all in stride and picked up his even more pint-sized fellow. "Er... My French is a bit rusty..." He eyed Blastus with an unsure smile. "Bonjour, mon frer."  
  
Sir Gumlittle, however, was trying to hide a great grin at seeing their brother in arms in the arms of the captain of the guard! Despite everything, he gave in to laughter. A hearty laughter of one who's been through a tough time and the weight of it all left him so light and airy that he can't help himself.  
  
Blastus, recognizing Gumlittle also, giggled and pointed at him. "<Silly brother.>"  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Far Pastures Of Gummadoon_**  
  
Cubbi knew tired. He knew weariness. He thought he knew bone-tired, dead-tired, and weary-beyond-belief, but this...  
  
The young knight-in-training stared out at his accomplishment and felt nothing in his head. Didn't feel like he'd just done three full fields of unicorn droppings. Didn't feel the rest of the chores of the day and evening. And yesterday's. Didn't feel like he'd made much of his time... Didn't feel his arms.  
  
Yes, his brainworks had sunken into the miasma of slowness because of how far he'd pushed himself. He stared and stared at the field, trying to fit it all in. Unable to. He contemplated the fact that his whole body hurt yet it didn't hurt as bad as it had the rest of the day. It was beyond hurting now. He could hardly feel it. Could hardly feel anything. He just stood there, analyzing this beyond point, analyzing the fact that he could no more lift his arm than he could his legs. He felt his head start to tip forward and analyzed that. It was the last thing he analyzed before he fell flat over, unconscious.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Corvi's Home**_  
  
Corvi brought his mother her dinner but she was asleep by the time he came in. Well, I'll just leave it on her nightstand... With delicate care, he deposited the tray noiselessly and exited.  
  
She had him worried. Didn't know what was wrong with her. Should he call for a healer? Mother didn't like them much but they might help...  
  
He sighed. He knew the story. Mother was afraid of healers because of his older brother. They hadn't helped him, so how could they help her? That's what she thought. Corvi didn't exactly agree. He'd been to see Sarrika once, and she was with Sir Blastus now. He knew there was no other way to make Sir Blastus better. Sarrika was the only thing that would keep his favorite knight alive. He wanted to tell Mother that but he knew it'd stress her out, and he wouldn't do that. She was too weak as it is.  
  
So he went about the usual chores, tucked his brothers in, read them stories, saw them fall fast asleep.  
  
He missed Mother doing that for him sometimes, but he was the man of the house now. He'd do it for his mother. Always and no matter how long it took her to get better.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Toni's Home_**  
  
"I'm not DUMB!!" Toni wanted to yell at her back. In his head, he did yell, as he cried. Only the tears came out. Lots of them. Stupid tears for babies! What would everyone think if they saw him blubbering like that??! He forced his eyes to squeeze out the last of any such nonsense tears and gritted his teeth and scrubbed the floor till he was rubbing the stone foundation a new layer. This had to be clean. This HAD to be clean! Mom would see now. He wasn't worthless! How could she say...? He WASN'T worthless!! He'd MAKE her change her mind... somehow.  
  
In the morning, or what little left there was, Toni got up and crept to the bathroom. His hands were blistered from all the cleanser and intense scrubbing. His face felt hot and dry from all the crying. He'd cried in his sleep and dried tears left slight marks on his face. He was just reaching for a towel to dry his face when his mother grabbed him by the neck and hauled him out.  
  
"Ungrateful! I do all the work around here and here you are taking up water and space. Get out!" She nearly flung him away and into the wall of the hallway before marching into the bathroom where she slammed the door.  
  
Stunned, Toni stared briefly. Then, in only his nightclothes still, he ran out of the house. Anywhere but his mother's sight was better!  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Fields of Gummadoon_**  
  
Cubbi dreamed little in his now dead-to-the-world sleep; he had not slept this way since he was first gassed with the sleeping horns of the knights when he first met them. He was dreaming of many a battle he'd done during the war. This dream was different, it was not a night terror dream but a dream where he was floating  
above the action and watching himself battle while he was controlled by Zorlock. He could see battles going on with Ursa and the Aerials, Sir Blastus' combat battles, as well as other battles. In a way, it scared him to see these images but he still was not sure what it meant.  
  
The cub's dreams were empty of anything else and he didn't even stir once. The clouds overhead threatened to pour down rain but Cubbi didn't dare move. He couldn't have if he wanted to. His muscles were far too wasted and his spirit, as strong as it was, had been broken by physical and mental strain for the moment. He didn't know anything but the rest his muscles and body had been craving and now took by force.  
  
A few squirrels and rabbits scurried past him. They stopped to sniff him but finding nothing of interest or of use, they scurried past. As they hopped out of the fence, they scurried across Sir Timothi's path on his way to make sure all the unicorns were in, should a storm break out. He looked over the fence and spied a still form on the fields. Worried that perhaps one of the pregnant mares had decided it time to foal, he hurried out. What he found was far worse.  
  
"Cubbi?!"  
  
He recognized the pink cub anywhere. He'd become rather fond of the cub as of late. He scooped the boy up into his arms, finding his fur and clothes slick with sweat and the cub's breaths were slow and labored. His heart was racing. But he looked like he would be okay. The young knight scooped the squire up into his arms, baffled.  
  
"Why didn't Sir Ramsei make you stop? Gum's sake, Plucki would have put a stop to this a long time ago. Doesn't Ramsei realize that cubs aren't good judges of themselves sometimes?" Timothi growled. If Ramsei wasn't his superior, he'd have given a good chunk of his mind at that moment. But the fact remained that he wasn't in a position to do that. Right now, the only thing Timothi could think of was to make sure the cub was alright. He was no medic. But sick bay was quarantined. He'd have to hope to find one of the medics off duty that hadn't gotten exposed to the sick.  
  
Wait…one of the elder healers, Hucklberri was in the city. He'd retired but surely he'd give the cub a look over. Timothi set his sights on that elder's guest quarters and headed back to the palace at a break neck speed.  
  
Through all this, Cubbi dreamed.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Streets_**  
  
Toni shuddered as the sky crackled, announcing an incoming storm. He wanted to go home where it was dry. There wouldn't be training today then because of the storm. Great. He'd been looking forward to morning so he could go to the palace. If there was rain, all the squires knew there was no training, at least not for them. Corvi would still have his but they weren't experienced enough yet to train on wet equipment.   
  
Toni cast a glance back at his house. Mother was cranky today but he didn't want to get her in trouble. Heck, Gumlittle had lost it at him a few times. Plucki had chewed him out for it too. He didn't want Mother to have to go through that. Maybe…maybe it had been like what happened with Gumlittle. He wanted to believe that. Maybe…  
  
Hey, maybe Mother had seen the floor! Maybe that would have cheered her up! Toni headed back to the house and then paused, seeing the garden in the yard. "I'll show Mom I'm not useless! She hasn't even asked me!" That thought as his comfort, the cub threw himself over the fence and started to tug up the weeds with his bare hands.  
  
Sweat poured down his face and mixed with the rain as it began to pour but Toni worked his heart out. Blood sliced through his fingers as thorns or tough leaves cut his skin. He'd never been really good at gardening but he was determined to make this work flawless. He even got onto his hands and knees and inspected the little plants by the root.  
  
His mother observed this from the window, Lady Bane feeding off the woman's contempt and sorrow of her husband's death despite how she feigned he still lived. Toni was a constant reminder and the sorrow of loss was easy to feed off of. The woman stormed outside, pausing behind Toni. The boy didn't even look up until his hands were gushing blood.  
  
"Mother! What…what do you think?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"I…I weeded the garden…"  
  
"I'm not blind."  
  
Toni blinked. "Well…how-how did I do?"  
  
"Idiot."  
  
Toni blinked, tears prickling at his eyes. "Oh…I did it wrong?"  
  
"You're lucky if you didn't _ruin_ it. Gum's sake, you're so useless. If you want to do something go chop wood, surely you can handle even that…"  
  
Toni swallowed, "With that big ax?"  
  
"No, with your hands, Antonius. How dumb are you? Of course with the ax."  
  
Toni got up, tears running but made his way to the woodpile. The rain made his hands slick and uneasy but he heaved the heavy blade onto his shoulder and kicked some of the wood down, determined to make his mother admit she was wrong. Chopping wood was something none of the knights let him do. Only adults were allowed that work. They'd only just allowed Corvi that chore. That gave Toni a brief sense of pride.  
  
"I'll show you, Mother…"  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Corvi's Home_**  
  
Corvi awoke early and fixed his brothers breakfast silently before checking in on his mother.  
  
No improvement…in fact, she was getting worse.  
  
The teen pulled away into the hall, biting his lip. "Blastus, I wish you could tell me what to do. Father, I wish you were here."  
  
He eyed his mother again and smiled faintly. She was still dreaming, he could tell. That gave his heart a comfort….  
  
"OWIE! BIG BROTHER!"  
  
And another day begins…  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Sick Bay_**  
  
"<No wanna nasty medicine. No!>"  
  
The bear-turned-cub struggled in Plucki's arms, trying to get as far away from Sarrika as he could. She had managed to mix up an herbal mixture that wouldn't affect his allergy. But the cub wasn't having anything to do with it. He was clinging to Plucki's neck, burying his face into the nook of the Captain's neck. Gumlittle found this rather amusing but didn't say so.   
  
Plucki had to think to translate the cub's talk. His French was rather divided; he could understand it just fine but it took some time to remember how to speak it. Luckily, the cub in his arms seemed to trust him anyway. It was an odd situation; it seemed like Blastus remembered people and places but he didn't remember events.   
  
Gumlittle stepped in to help, stroking the cub's brown hair, feeling a bit odd but relieved all the same. If Blastus was fighting, which he usually did when it came to any type of medical exam, it was a good sign. His French was halting but understandable. "<Come on, little brother. Calm down.>"  
  
"Non!" The cub buried his face into Plucki's chest again. "<No take it!>"  
  
Plucki forced his voice to take on a firm tone, one he used with the squires on occasion. It felt odd talking to Blastus as anything but an equal but that simply couldn't be helped at the moment. "Blastus!"  
  
The cub looked up and Plucki's voice froze in his throat. Blastus looked up from tear filled eyes, streams already staining his chubby cheeks. His little fists were curled up into Plucki's fur and he looked at the knight with such trust in his eyes, yet there was a hidden fear there. That wasn't unusual. Even as a cub the first time, Blastus had never been one to admit that he was sick. He would deny it left and right.  
  
Sarrika spoke up, "I still have to finish preparing it. If you two can just get him in that bed, that'll be a big help."  
  
Plucki gave her a nod and sat down on the bed himself, Blastus still clinging to him like a leech. He unlatched one hand and stuck his thumb into his mouth. Lying his head on Plucki's shoulder, he calmed down a little bit. That was a relief. Gumlittle walked to the counter and came over with a glass of juice which he offered to his now much-littler brother.   
  
"<Here, Blastus. Drink some juice and relax. Plucki and I are staying right here. We aren't leaving, okay?>"  
  
Blastus looked up to clarify and Plucki smiled at him and nodded "<We're staying, brother.>"  
  
The cub nodded and took the large cup from his older brother. Plucki shot Gumlittle a half-dirty look and the knight blinked, "What?"  
  
"He's about, what…two, maybe Gumlittle?"  
  
"Yes, what of it?"  
  
Gumlittle got his answer as much of the juice drenched the cub's front. Maybe a fourth of the glass, if even that, got into his mouth. Gumlittle mentally slapped himself. He should have remembered that. But it had been a while since he'd had to deal with a messy cub. Even his pages were pretty neat; it was just in their personalities. His last really 'hard' page had been Toni. Toni was still like that in some ways but he'd plum forgotten that such a large glass would be absolute murder to a two year old Blastus.  
  
The cub drained the glass as best he could and handed it back to his brother, grinning. Now a long red stain ran all down his front, to his waistline and circled his muzzle. Had the situation been less serious, Gumlittle and Plucki as well would have broken up laughing. But they knew that the chances of that juice staying down were still pretty slim. Despite Blastus' cheery outward behavior, both adults knew it was an act. Blastus always put on an act when he didn't feel good. He always tried to be 'tough' and 'grown up' in a sense.   
  
The cub stood up so he was perched on Plucki's thighs and met his brother's face. "<All sticky, big brother.>"  
  
Despite himself, Plucki smiled. Blastus was too adorable not to smile at. Besides, even if this was his fellow knight reduced to childhood again, it was still a cub and Plucki had always loved cubs. That was one reason he and these two had bonded so. While Plucki was close in age to Gumlittle, he was five years Blastus' senior. He'd taken on an older brother role with the cub when they were children and in a sense, it continued into adulthood. "I see that."  
  
Sarrika looked up at the two knights, "Think you can get him cleaned up? I'm about ready here."  
  
Plucki and Gumlittle exchanged glances. She wanted them to bathe a fellow knight?! Well…he _was_ their brother but still…  
  
Plucki shook his head. He was Blastus' brother, despite his age. They'd known as soon as Blastus got sick that they possibly would have been helping with things of that nature. Actually, it was much better that Blastus had been reduced to a cub. It made things a lot less awkward than had he still been an adult. Granted, it wouldn't have been the first time they'd seen one another in the bare but it would have been a blow to his pride and Plucki wanted to avoid that if he could as he knew Blastus would have done the same had the situation been reversed.  
  
Plucki fixed his sights on Blastus who had sat back down and playfully tugged on his beard, giving him an impish grin. The Gummadoon Captain gently pried the cub's hands off and gave a half nod to Gumlittle who took the hint and walked into the bathroom to get a lukewarm bath prepared. Blastus was oblivious to this and tugged on Plucki's beard again, laughing.  
  
Sarrika found this a good sign. Laughter was always a good sign. Cub's Fever was a tricky illness one that sometimes faded and then came back full force. If it was in its lighter throws upon the knight then it was imperative to get the herbal remedies in him as soon as possible. If the herbal medications could start to take effective when the symptoms of the illness were lightened then the better chance they had of making an impact. When Blastus had been a cub, the illness had tricked them a few times as it lightened almost so it was merely a slight head cold and then during the night had dive bombed back to critical.   
  
"<Stop that, you shrimp.>" Plucki scolded lightly. "<That hurts.>"  
  
"<Nu uh…>" came the grinning smirk. Plucki ruffled the cub's hair and he got a squeal of pain. "<Stop it, brother! Head hurts!>"  
  
Hmm, so the symptoms were getting worse again, not good. That most likely would mean his fever would go back up. He pressed Blastus against his chest, gently easing him to rest a bit. The cub curled his legs up and closed his eyes, sticking his fingers into his mouth. Plucki rubbed the cub's back a little bit, hoping it would relax him. For a good while it seemed to work.  
  
Gumlittle crept back in after a few minutes "Ready?" he asked in common, knowing Blastus' knowledge of common was limited at this age. Plucki looked down at the cub and slowly got up. Luckily, they hadn't thought of what to put him in yet. That saved them the trouble of trying to get clothes off him. The nightclothes he'd been in as an adult were of course too big.  
  
Blastus stirred when Plucki stood, "<Big Brother?>"  
  
Plucki just smiled at him. This façade didn't work though. Blastus saw the water, he smelt the soap and he felt the steam. He leapt out of Plucki's arms. "<NO BATH!>"  
  
He darted around Gumlittle's legs, through Sarrika's skirts and before any of the three could even shout a warning, the illness-carrying cub tore out the door and down the hall.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Inner Gummadoon_**  
  
 _Gum,_ thought Sarrika as the knight-turned-cub darted off. _If anything else is to go wrong, please make it next month, or next year for that matter!_ Her profession prepared her to the realities of life but being subject to so much at once would weigh on any gummi. She told herself that it wasn't her losing her touch. _Just a bad month. Get a grip. Your fellow gummies need you!_  
  
More than she knew. Outside the castle's stronghold were the pains she couldn't even think about in order to contain an epidemic here, and the loss of a great knight and friend.  
  
She and Plucki dashed after little Blastus, warning anyone that may be up to get back in their rooms. By now the rumor of Cub's Fever in the castle had spread faster than any virus, and would hopefully stop any outbreaks. It sure got people back in their rooms!  
  
Little Sir Blastus could not go far in his condition. Weak, panting from exertion, and just not fast at this age, the sickness working against him sucked the last bit of strength from the child-knight. He faltered, fell, and did not get back up.  
  
"Quickly! Bring him back!" Sarrika urged, for it was Plucki who reached Blastus first. She nearly ran into Gumlittle in her turnaround. To him, she said, "Bring the herbal remedies I've prepared in the bedding room, the ones on the tray. Plucki?" She called the knight-captain to her side. "Get him in the bath. Now!"  
  
Whatever Sarrika asked for, she received. It didn't matter that she was present for the bathing of a bare Sir Blastus, or that they had to pinch the cub to wake him enough to force the medicine down his throat. Sarrika would not take the fussing anymore. The ordeal left them all nerveless and feeling cruel as the child-knight whimpered in Sir Plucki's arms, a warm dry towel about his small body.  
  
Plucki glanced at Gumlittle, who was feeling it just as he. Like they'd betrayed their little brother. Gumlittle spoke up. "Did it have to be that way?"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Outside Healer Huckleberri's Home**_  
  
Sir Timothi jogged lightly toward Healer Huckleberri's cottage, careful not to jar Cubbi in his arms. He knocked heavily on the door, trying to manage the cub's weight with one hand. Knocked loudly, too. It was early and he wanted to make sure he was heard. Huckleberri didn't have the best hearing either...  
  
The door creaked open. A pale peach-furred young lady gummi stood in the doorway. She blushed at Sir Timothi.  
  
"Sarrani??"  
  
"...Come in, Sir Timothi."  
  
Timothi stared but entered the dark abode. No lights were lit but he needn't any to see the gummi who haunted his happiest dreams. They'd both put each other on hold to pursue their passions. He, training as a knight, she as a healer. She'd left to seek new medicinal treatments as soon as Gummadoon was a stable city once more and not wandering the zones of millennia. When did she get back??  
  
"I came to see Healer Huckleberri..." He trailed off. How could she have gotten lovelier on her travels? Or was it that he'd simply missed her so?  
  
She smiled. "I can see that. Lay him here."  
  
Snapping out of his thoughts, Timothi followed her instructions. He tried not to stare as she examined the cub, nor fall too deeply into the lull of her comforting voice. Gum, he'd missed her!  
  
"Huckleberri's not as young as we remember him, Tim. He needs his rest. I'll see to this cub. He's not of Gummadoon, is he? No, I don't suppose he is. Open that curtain there. Let some light in, though there's hardly any on this grey day. What was he doing? How did you find him? Like this?"  
  
Timothi told Sarrani the whole of it, including that the rumored outbreak of Cub's Fever was indeed true.  
  
"I've just arrived this morning. Since Huckleberri is my mentor and I am always welcome to his home, I stopped here first. I assume my sister has the rest in hand at the castle main?"  
  
"Sarrika. Yes. There are odd rumors of goings-on in the castle. Magic craft creating the re-emergence of the fever. Sarrika's in the Council's ear about it, I hear."  
  
Sarrani smiled. "As well informed as usual, I see."  
  
Timothi caught her eyes like one might a fine pale moonlight. A bare grasp that might break at the slightest breath. Had she still feelings for him?  
  
Sarrani passed him a final shy smile of affection before fetching the cub some dry clothing from another room.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Woodyard_**  
  
Toni stared at his hands gripping the axe handle. Bloodied from pulling weeds, he stared transfixed as the redness slipped down the shaft of wood. He stood there mesmerized until the crimson trail touched the cold metal. A jolt shot through him. He heard his mother's voice, yelling at him to get to work. No, not Mother. It was the thunder again. And a drop of rain. And a hundred more as the downpour began. Mist from the late spring began to rise as Toni steadied his hands, took a firm grip, and chose a round of wood. He placed it on the chopping block and the axe rose high. He let it fall.

* * *

  
 _ **Tavi's Room**_  
  
It was her fault. Everything. If only she'd...  
  
Tavi woke with a gasp. The thunderclap woke her with a start. That was all.... That, and the bad dream. Again, she'd had the dream. The dreams were telling her things. Things she shouldn't know, and things no one else knew.   
  
The medallion inside of her warmed when she was happy and felt cold when she was sad. Cold and heavy and hard. She knew the stories of Emi. Tavi shivered. She wouldn't end up like her. There was just something wrong with that gummi. Very wrong. It wasn't the medallion that turned Emi. It wasn't!  
  
Tavi curled her knees up to her chin and cried. She was tired of questions. Ones asked from the Council, and those no one asked but she could hear it from their eyes. They knew the stories, too. She didn't want to be around other gummies right now, or yesterday, either. It was getting hard sometimes, pretending everything was normal. It wasn't! Especially not in her dreams.  
  
She was the gummi who'd died at the hands of Zorlock the Magician. The gummi who'd risked everything to keep Gummadoon safe. But now... Whenever Tavi woke, it was fuzzy, the dream. And so was the gummi's name! She was so important, so very important. Why couldn't she remember her name?! She wanted desperately to remember, because it was also important, but she dare not leave her room. No more questions!!  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Healer Huckleberri's Home_**  
  
Cubbi stirred, opened his eyes, and gasped at the unfamiliar surroundings.  
  
"Oh-ho-ho! He is awake."  
  
Cubbi swiveled about. He was on a couch in a small, dark room. His arms and legs hurt like he'd been stretched like Grammi's attempts at taffy. There were three gummies in the room, and one was very old. That one had pale green fur and had spoken first. He sat beside him on the couch, a cane clutched in his old paws.  
  
"It's alright. You've exhausted yourself. Just rest." the second gummi said. She was a pretty gummi, and young. He didn't know her either. The last face he knew. His face went red because of it, too. Sir Timothi caught him passed out in the field... Cubbi slumped.  
  
"Just take it easy, Cubbi. You meant well, sure, but even knights take breaks. Now you know why." Sir Timothi smiled. He was trying to be kind but Cubbi could only feel his embarrassment through and through.  
  
"Can I go?" Cubbi muttered. He realized suddenly he wasn't in his normal clothes and blushed furiously. The lady gummi undressed him?! "Uh..."  
  
"Your clothes are drying. It's pouring down rain right now. We think it best if you stay here a bit longer." the old bear said. "You'd best listen, too, unless you'd like to wind up in a muddy field face down again. Exhaustion is not to be taken lightly, young one."  
  
His embarrassment turned to frustration, and anger. He kept his trap shut, but all he wanted to do was run right out the front door.  
  
"A knight's duty is to his people. Listen to them. Learn from them, and teach them."  
  
Plucki's lesson from just days before popped into his head suddenly. Cubbi blinked. Yes, he tended to act without thinking. People generally waited to long to get anything done and then nothing got done. But he wanted to be just like Sir Plucki. And learn everything he taught. Cubbi sighed. Learn as well as teach, huh? The cub forced himself to sit back and relax, which was tough. Even in the giant sprawls of the Glen, he got so _bored_ when it rained! Now he didn't even have the other squires or pages to play with. He eyed the three gummies watching him closely and stuck out a hand to the old bear because he was closest.  
  
"I'm Cubbi Gummi."  
  
The old bear smiled. "I'm Huckleberri." He extended a brittle-looking paw for a good shake of his own.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Woodyard_**  
  
Toni's eyes were clouded over with sweat, tears and thin streams of blood that poured off his face. His face was a stone, fixated on one goal and one goal alone. He didn't know why his mother was so different lately but he meant to impress her, to make her proud of him. His memories of his father were nearly nonexistent but he did remember his father playing with him. Back then, Mother had been nicer, more involved. She'd been thinner, healthier. She'd smiled more, laughed more.   
  
Toni knew he had been an unplanned baby. He knew his parents had never planned on being parents. They were young and active. His father had been an explorer, venturing out, seeking new dimensions, new lands, more gummies. Before, his father would vanish for weeks and return. He had left when Toni had been two or so and the cub never saw him again. Mother insisted she got letters and signals from him, detailing his adventures and telling how he was delayed and unable to return just then.  
  
Toni had his doubts.   
  
Honestly, Toni thought his father was dead. He never heard from him himself and neither did any of the knights. Surely, they would have been the first to tell him of any news. Yet, Gumlittle never had any news on his father. Toni never asked him though. He felt like his mother couldn't be lying about something like his father but he wasn't sure of her behavior at all anymore.  
  
PAIN!  
  
Toni dropped the ax and fell to his knees, clutching his thigh. Blood seeped out of the small wound where the heavy blade had nicked him. It wasn't deep, he knew that but he also knew that it hurt! The cub put pressure on the wound until the bleeding ceased. He trembled, still in quite a bit of pain. It stung like mad and burnt, probably due to the dirt and grime he'd collected on his body flooding into the wound.   
  
Toni whimpered under his breath and then headed over to a nearby rain water puddle and scooped up a handful into his palm, splashing it onto his wound. It ran down his thigh, leaving a thin, light pink stream. It stung, probably from the mud and dirt that had gathered in the water. He probably made the wound worse by adding the dirty water but at the moment, Toni wasn't thinking about that.  
  
The wound wasn't too deep which was a help. Toni had to stop for a few minutes though, waiting for the horrid pain to subside. It felt like fire for a little bit but then it began to fade. The pain never vanished but it gradually became more like a bite than a cut which was better than before. The cub was mad that the cut still oozed a bit; it would probably leave a scar.  
  
Gum! What would Gumlittle do? The knights told them over and over not to touch the axes or the woodpile. Toni's mother thought nothing of it but what if his mentor found out? Gumlittle would kill him, Toni was sure of it. How could he get out of this? The cub eyed the scar critically. It was a rugged cut, from how the ax had slipped down his leg. Toni was a klutz and he knew it. Would Gumlittle buy that he'd fallen off a fence and into one of the farm pens?  
  
He would.  
  
That thought aside, Toni pulled up the next block of wood, despite how heavy it was. The rough bark on the side made his small palms bleed and chap but he kept at it, regardless. If he could get even a smile from his mother that night…or what is it morning? He blinked and tried to see through the pouring rain but it was hard. He shrugged. The point was that he had to get recognition from her!   
  
Swing, fall, swing, fall, swing, fall…  
  
Thus began the painful ritual the rest of the early dawn and into morning.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon SickBay**_  
  
Sarrika was hardly proud or happy with herself. She hated making anyone cry or shrink away in fear or pain but with Sir Blastus, it was a matter of his life. True enough, he was a cub but Sarrika found herself so thinking of him as the adult. That made her job all the more harder. With a child she had always known as a cub, it would have been far easier to remember the simplest things scared, upset and worried the patient but with Blastus, she was coping with one who usually knew what was coming but now did not.  
  
Thank Gum for Plucki and Gumlittle!  
  
And speaking of which….  
  
"<No more owies, Big Brother! She mean!>"  
  
Plucki stroked the cub's hair, trying to use it as a comforting gesture. "<She's trying to make you feel better.>"  
  
"<She hurts. No more touch!>"  
  
Gumlittle had left for a moment, trying to take all this in stride. He knew there was little chance of him or Plucki catching it but that wasn't what clouded his mind. Fear was always on his mind although the fact that Blastus was talking was a comfort in itself. Never could shut that knight up, adult or child form. It was a comfort. But as for his task at hand…  
  
Sarrika had said that it would be best to get some kind of clothes for the child, if at all possible. The fever would fall easier if he was kept warm and while the towels and blankets worked for now, they were not as well a covering as some type of pajamas or even slacks and tunic. So, that was Gumlittle's mission. But what clothes did they have that would possibly fit a two year old?  
  
Well, they didn't but it was possible that Corvi's youngest brother might. Gumlittle didn't want to ask any of the civilians for some, not when they had to be burned. Corvi had been longing to do something to help Blastus he knew so he hoped this little bit of aid would give the cub a sense of accomplishment, that he was doing something.   
  
Gumlittle approached one of the small intercoms they kept in sickbay that led down into the knights' quarters. They were crude, not like the Gummiscope which was quite the advancement. The intercom itself was little more than a metal tube that connected to certain rooms. Gumlittle managed to get a groggy Ramsei. That made him smile for a moment. Ramsei and about half their knights were grumpy as all get out until they had some morning tea. Yet when Ramsei heard Gumlittle's voice, he adjusted his tone.  
  
"Yes, Sir Gumlittle?"  
  
"Cut the formality, Ramsus and that's an order."  
  
Ramsei had to roll his eyes at the oxymoron but he replied simply "Understood. What do you need?"  
  
"Has Corvi come back yet?"  
  
"I think he's still at his mother's house."  
  
"Can you go and get him, ask him for some of Cori's clothes, not ones the cub likes because chances are we're going to have to burn them later."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Ramsei stopped answering then and Gumlittle heard the door open and shut before he closed the connection. Walking back to Plucki who cradled the shaking cub, he stroked his brother's forehead, "<Ramsei's getting you some clothes, little brother.>"  
  
"<Cold.>"  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Corvi's House**_  
  
The knock on the door was enough to get Corvi cursing. He had been working and tending to his family all night it felt like. Sleep was a rarity and one that he had just sworn he'd become accustomed to. His dream hadn't even been halfway through and it had been a wonderful one. Blastus was all better and they were out on the field, training together, Blastus, as always, making it fun and creative.  
  
Just a dream, gone with the morn.  
  
If one could consider this to be morning!  
  
Fiddling with the latch a moment, the cub opened it, still in just his boxers, his hair a frizzled mess.  
  
He promptly blushed blood red and felt like a fool and dashed to grab a housecoat.  
  
"S-sir Ramsei!"  
  
"Don't fret so, cub. I've seen far worse than cubs in their underwear."  
  
"That's a real comfort." The cub remarked and tore his mother's housecoat off the wall. It was purple but Corvi didn't care. He pushed his hair out of his face and backed up so Ramsei could come in out of the spring rain. "What can I do for you Sir Ramsei?"  
  
"Gumlittle needs some clothes for Sir Blastus. You know the council reduced him to child form to help better combat the illness? He's about Cori's age at present moment. Could you-"  
  
"Sure…just stay quiet. You wake my brother up and I will personally shoot you."  
  
"You ought to watch that tongue, cub."  
  
"It's early, I don't feel like it." He snapped, cranky with the rude awakening and the early hour but walked into his youngest brother's room, keeping the lantern he carried very low, as much as he could help it. He paused for a moment to check on his brother in his crib. He was sleeping soundly still, mouth half open. Corvi pulled the covers up on him a bit and then went to his sibling's drawers. He opted on two outfits, one being a simple long night shirt and one being of long slacks and a long sleeved shirt. He handed them to Ramsei.  
  
"You need anything else?"  
  
'No, this should do."  
  
"Good. Ramsei," the cub looked at his feet, almost afraid of the answer "How is Blastus?"  
  
Ramsei tilted the cub's chin up. "Ask your questions to me, not the floor, Corvus."  
  
"Yes sir…how is Blastus doing?"  
  
"He's in the best care possible. From what I know, which is very little, he's talking."  
  
Corvi nodded.   
  
"Get some sleep Corvus. I doubt we’ll do training today, at least not in the early morning. Perhaps later if the rain dries up some."  
  
Corvi nodded and then closed the door after the Gummadoon knight, laying against the wall, sliding to the ground, burying his face into his folded arms. His dream faded away into the cold reality: Blastus was still sick, and sick enough that the council was forced to use magic. They usually reserved that for the worst of situations.  
  
Rising to his feet after a moment, the cub took advantage of this pre-dawn awakening to start the household chores, pausing to check on his mother.  
  
Her fever was worse.  
  


* * *

  
Healer Huckleberri's Home  
  
"Water's best right now, young one."  
  
Cubbi pouted at the female healer but took a sip of the mug of water and slowly began to down it. His body had been craving it for the past few days. He was smart enough to drink it when he really needed it but all in all, he had not had nearly enough for the past day or so. His body took it in as much as it could. The healer reminded the child to go slow and to sip, not gulp. Sometimes that was hard but he was determined not to look like a disobedient and foolish cub.  
  
As for Timothi, he kept close to the cub, for some support. While the knight hadn't known the cub very long, he did know how much he admired the boy's crazy spunk. It suited him well and Timothi thought it would continue to do so, if only the child could learn to harness it. That was something accomplished with time.  
  
As for Cubbi, his body was well adjusted to this comfortable couch. It had been longing for the rest for days. However, the cub's mind was another matter all together. He feared Plucki's reaction mostly, remembering Ramsei's warning.  
  
"Plucki won't do much worse than lecture, cub."  
  
Cubbi glanced up. Timothi smiled.  
  
"Pluck's funny that way. If yer not hurt, he'll lecture you until your ears burn off or give you chores you didn't know existed but chances are, since you were hurt, he'll be more concerned than angry."  
  
"I…I was trying to help…to lighten the workload."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Never fails." The cub played with the cup in his hands before laying it down. "I always screw it up somehow."  
  
"Hey, none of that!"  
  
"I do…"  
  
"There'll be none of that talk here, Cubbi. None of the knights, myself included, will stand for it."  
  
"Seems like I'm so out of place here sometimes…"  
  
Timothi smiled "We all felt like that at one time or another, as we learn and adjust."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Still do, sometimes. Tell you what…"  
  
"What?"  
  
"When Blastus is better, ask Plucki to t ell you about his days of training. You're not alone in feeling odd, kiddo."

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
The evil sorceress watched her possession spell with much happiness. Toni, although tough on the outside, was already beginning to show wear. She stepped her ways up just a bit. She did not want to draw too much attention but rather test the waters. When the cub Toni returned, Lady Bane took advantage of this to tear into his confidence, his self esteem, leading the gummi lady to banish the boy to his room, to the corner for bringing in dirt, water and grim.  
  
Toni would be a hard one but the sorceress was much enjoying exploring the limits of the gummi spirit…as well as what kind emotions cracked it best.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Toni's Room_**  
  
Tears blurring his vision, Toni fixated his sight on the bare walls of his room. They had always been bare but more so lately. He had never felt comfortable putting drawings or paintings or anything of that sort upon the walls. Mother never looked at them. Any work he finished at tutoring, he threw away. Mother wouldn't keep it and Toni didn’t think Gumlittle would be interested in his stupid little writings either.  
  
It hurt.  
  
Toni worked hard on everything he did, be it training or schoolwork. He wanted recognition, praise, encouragement. He never received any from his mother, not once. Lately, all he got from her was ridicule. He was actually looking forward to going back to tutoring. Lady Ivory would be sending their success reports home in a week or so. That meant Toni got to show off his work to Gumlittle.  
  
Oh, how the cub craved the praises and 'well done!'s that would generate.  
  
His little heart needed it.  
  
He could hear her ranting, even from his room. He heard her and stared at the blank walls and couldn't even get up the gumption to plug his ears. He deserved it, the ridicule. He must, because she was his mother for Gum's sake. There had to be something wrong with him! But how could he fix it if she never gave him half a chance.   
  
Blank walls...   
  
He wished he was as blank as the walls, simple in the head like his mother thought he really was. Then it wouldn't matter. All of the bad things people would ignore about him. Simple people were treated with more respect than he was...   
  
<Why couldn't I have been born truly stupid and simple?!> He cursed not Gum, nor his mother, but himself. All his fault. Everything. From being born to his stupid useless hobbies to his feeble hopes of every being anything in the eyes of Sir Gumlittle. How could a simpleton like himself ever hope to be anything but a shoveler?   
  
"Stupid. You are SO STUPID! How could I have EVER given birth to a worthless and pathetic cub like HIM!?"   
  
<Stop. Stop stop stop stopstopstopstopstOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!>   
  
His hands clamped so hard around his ears, they popped painfully.   
  
<Make it STOP!! Make HER stop!! Make me stop...>


	11. Chapter 11

_**Healer Huckleberri's Home** _  
  
"Yer too hard on yourself. Ya don't see it but we all can, lad." Huckleberri said.   
  
"Everyone makes mistakes. Me, Huckleberri, Sir Timothi, Sir Plucki, even the Council. We all do. But we must get by that, Cubbi. Move on, learn from our mistakes. That's how we truly grow." said Sarrani.   
  
Cubbi bowed his head. "It isn't just me screwing up. I just don't seem to fit here sometimes... Anybody can see I'm not from Gummadoon."   
  
"And that bothers you?" Sir Timothi asked, though they all knew it. The point was to bring this out into the open further.   
  
"It might interest you to know that not everyone of Gummadoon was born here, young squire," Huckleberri began. "I myself came to Gummadoon and stayed when they told me they hadn't any but one other healer. And Sir Blastus. Do you think he was born here, the way he talks? No, sir." The old healer smiled, remembering back. "Why, that little cub was a handful, too. Rascal! Always getting into everything. He provoked Gumlittle and Plucki to more mischief than I think they'd've gotten into the pair of them alone! Oh, yes, Gummadoon has all sorts of people under its roof."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Sick Room_ **  
  
"If only we had a way of capturing this image forever. For posterity, of course." Sarrika said, grinning.   
  
"You mean for bribery." Plucki grunted, standing back to stare at the little Sir Blastus. The night shirt fit fine. His two-year-old best friend still held his arms up from putting on the night shirt and looked expectantly at the other adults. Plucki chuckled. "You look like I'm robbing you. Put your hands down."   
  
"Sarrika, please tell me this isn't going to last more than another day..." Gumlittle was wearing down. The stress the recent events were causing wasn't doing good by him. Everyone could see that. And everyone else was just behind him when it came to the breaking point.   
  
"We'll keep him in this form as long as it takes, Sir Gumlittle. As soon as his sickness is done, run its course, then you'll have your answer."   
  


* * *

  
_**Tavi's Room** _  
  
Tavi, still dressed in her sleepclothes, paced. Why? Why did she dream so much about the gummi who'd truly saved them from Zorlock?   
  
A knock at her door startled her into pausing. "Y-yes? Who is it?"   
  
"Your Aunt Toffi, dear. May I come in?"   
  
"... Sure." She tried to sound and act like nothing was wrong. Nothing at all. She threw on a smile and hopped cheerfully onto her bed as her aunt entered.   
  
Her aunt was smiling, too, but it was a tired one and one that hid concern.   
  
"What's wrong?" Tavi asked.   
  
"How do you feel today, Tavi?"   
  
"Auntie, I wish people would stop asking me that..." She sighed wearily, nothing false about it.   
  
"We're merely worried about you. What you've done -- what you did-- was not anything we'd predicted. We're the Council! We're supposed to see these things. But it is no small matter and we're only concerned."   
  
"Concerned about my sanity." Tavi snorted.   
  
"Now, don't take a tone with me, girl. We want to help."   
  
"You're treating me like a thing, Auntie! Not a gummi! I haven't broken yet! Stop fussing!"   
  
They stared each other down a moment. Councilor Wooddale subsided with a sigh. "Very well, niece. But... Please, if anything out of the ordinary happens, or you start to feel yourself... lost... please come to me, or any of the Council of Gummadoon. Or any of the knights! It's very important, sweetie."   
  
Tavi's jaw clenched and she glared and looked quite menacing to her aunt. "You think I don't know the stories? You don't think I know about HER? You're so afraid of her, you won't even mention her name!"   
  
Wooddale stared, shocked. "You know of Emi?"   
  
Still angry, Tavi nodded.   
  
"There is great power in a gummi medallion, niece. The one you absorbed was no different than that which Emi consumed. And you are so young. How can we NOT worry?"   
  
Tavi's lip started to tremble. She wasn't really angry at her aunt. They were worried about her. That's all. She was worried, too. "Aunt Toffi?"   
  
"Yes, dear?"   
  
"Will I...? Is there any way to stop from going insane after what I did?"   
  
"Something is wrong. PLEASE talk to me!" Wooddale pleaded, her arms out.   
  
Tavi rushed to her aunt, clutching at her desperately. "In my dreams, Toffi. I'm never me anymore. I'm someone else! I can't make it stop. I can't make the rain stop, or the thunder. I can't stop being afraid even though I want to so bad!"   
  
"Oh, child..." Wooddale stroked her head, smoothed her tousled hair. She sighed, then smiled. "It'll be alright. You don't sound like you're going insane to me."   
  
Tavi began to sob against her aunt. "I'm not Emi. I'm _not_, Aunt Toffi! I'll _never_ be like that."   
  
The Gummadoon councilor's smile grew and pulled her niece into a loving embrace. "I know, Tavi. We'll make sure of it, and I never believed you would, dear."  
  


* * *

 

* * *

  
 _ **Toni's Home**_  
  
How long Toni sat there, he wasn't sure. He knew his ears had ceased their aching but he still refused to take his hands down and away from them. Blood slid down from them, simply from the puncture wounds from his claws. He hadn't realized that he was holding them so hard. He was faintly aware of two things. One was that Mother was not screaming anymore and he could smell a delicious meal downstairs and two was that Mother made no move to call him to join her. She had said to sit where he was so Toni didn't move.  
  
Minutes became hours. The sun dipped low in its journey and then vanished away. Toni's stomach growled in protest as it had all morning, all afternoon and all day. He didn't dare budge, hoping that soon Mother would call him down to eat. Surely she would. She had made him go without one meal before but never all day, never like this.  
  
Unable to stand it, he moved to the door, peering downstairs.  
  
"Mother, can I-"  
  
"Antonius did I say you could come out?"  
  
He shook his head "No…but I haven't eaten all day."  
  
"You should have thought that before botching the wood cutting!"  
  
"I…cut a lot of wood though Mother…"  
  
"Not enough!" she spat, her word poison. "All you managed to do was botch the wood you did cut. Do you think these pieces are big enough or small enough to be of any use? No! I'll have to go and re-cut them myself!"  
  
"I...I've never used an ax before, Mother."  
  
"Stupid cub. All you ever have are excuses! Any fool can use an ax!"  
  
Toni's ears drooped. The older gummi woman groaned, clutching her forehead as if the mere task of speaking to Toni was making her head hurt. She growled, her hair frazzled. "Great Gum Above, can you achieve nothing right?"  
  
He bowed his head lower. "I…I'll go sit some more, Mother."  
  
"No."  
  
He turned, looking at her. "No?"  
  
"Go to bed. I don't want to see your face anymore this evening!"  
  
Toni turned his head, walking back into his room. His eyes downcast, the cub sat down on his bed, wincing. His leg was throbbing again. It had been doing it all day. Toni eyed the cut from the ax; it had turned dark navy around it, swelling. He couldn't get any ice to put on it so the boy walked into his washroom, trying to locate some cloth. His search came up empty as there was nothing.   
  
Walking back into his room, he pondered over his choices and then looked down at his clothes. They were still grimy from cutting wood. Mother hadn't allowed him time enough to take a bath or to change his clothes. He only had a few pair, most of them still being at the palace and Mother hadn't bothered to wash anymore. He tore a piece of his slacks off and wrapped it around his leg. It made it sting worse a moment but Toni climbed into bed, whimpering.  
  
"Blastus, get better soon. I want to come home." He glanced at the door where he heard his mother ranting some more. Toni pulled his pillow over his head, shaking, tears running down his face. He wanted to be home with Gumlittle, getting a warm bath, climbing into a warm bed, and listening to Gumlittle's stories of victory until dreams claimed him. Gumlittle would walk out after covering him up to the shoulder and lighting a small lamp by his bedside.  
  
He wasn't afraid of the dark.  
  
He was just afraid of the things he couldn't see that were in the dark.  
  
Toni glanced about, nervously, at his room at that thought. With no candle lit, as Mother ordered him to bed, the shadows crept over the bed and floor, like so many twisted fingers. Toni pulled his blanket tight around himself, whimpering. It was cold, given the recent rain outside and the cooling weather. More rain was expected. Usually about now Mother would have taken out the warmer blankets but he still only had his thin sheet.  
  
The cub trembled, lying down, attempting to sleep.   
  
Every sound made him jump.  
  
Clutching his fish close to his face, he could almost see all the demons and monsters that were lurking in the shadows.  
  
"Gummie…"  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Huckleberri's Home**_  
  
Sir Timothi glanced out into the falling night. It was hard to believe that a day had slipped by so swiftly. Did Sarrani still have the effortless talent as always to make time slip by so swiftly? It was hard to believe he had missed her so. Had it really been so long or did it just seem so? Timothi could not take his eyes off her even as she finished the evening's chores while Huckleberri made sure Cubbi did not move as of yet.  
  
Chuckling, he followed her as she went outside briefly, probably for some fresh air.  
  
"Sarrani…I-"  
  
"Still as silver tongued as ever, Sir Timothi?" she teased gently.  
  
His cheeks turned dark. "Well, you always-"  
  
"You always slip up about me. Do I make you so nervous, Tim?"  
  
"I…it's not-"  
  
She chuckled and wrapped her arm on his shoulder. Her touch made his stomach light and airy. She sighed deeply, regarding the sky. "Are you certain this will not cause you trouble?"  
  
"No. Sir Ramsei will understand. And if he does not then Plucki will."  
  
She smiled. "The cub is his squire, yes?"  
  
He turned, blinking.  
  
"His arm band told me as much."  
  
Of course. He had forgotten that. He felt suddenly foolish but Sarrani merely smiled, as she usually did. Turning her attention skyward, she pondered.  
  
"I wonder if the disease will indeed spread."  
  
Timothi sighed "I hope not."  
  
"Yes, such an outbreak now would be disastrous."  
  
"I only hope Sir Blastus recovers."  
  
"he is strong, isn't he?"  
  
"of course."  
  
"And he has his brothers with him?"  
  
"I'd be surprised if they leave to do anything."  
  
"Then he will be fine."  
  
Timothi turned, gave her a gentle smile. "Thanks."  
  


* * *

  
  
Cubbi regarded the two youngest adults as he sipped his warm milk. He was grateful for something besides water and the older gummi had made him quite the meal tonight. Regarding Hucklberri a moment, he pointed to the two other adults.  
  
"Is Sarrani his girlfriend?"  
  
The healer laughed out loud. "Oh, if only she were, young one, it would lift his heart."  
  
"Looks to me like she is."  
  
The old gummi smiled, gently tapping his cane against the floor. "Ah, but for the sight of a child."  
  
Cubbi turned, "Hmm?"  
  
"Children see much that adults wonder about, cub."  
  
"What's that mean?"  
  
Hucklberri smiled. "It means that as one grows older, he often overlooks obvious clues that are quite apparent to a cub's eyes. The sound of children's laughter and play is among the greatest in the world, young one. Sir Plucki in particular loves it. Children understand and see so much more than we could hope to fandom."  
  
Cubbi stared, setting his glass down. "Plucki likes to hear us play?"  
  
"Oh, most assuredly child. Cubs give us all a reminder of the grand things of life, of the hope of the future. Hearing you play reminds us all  that children know truly what is most important and that is to be happy and live well."  
  
Cubbi scratched his left ear. This old man talked funny but maybe he had a point. Plucki _did_ seem to always smile so much brighter when he came upon the squires in a game. He hadn't scolded harshly when Cubbi and Toni had fallen that cabinet. Was…was he supposed to train here and play? Was play a part of training? Of keeping that spirit young? Cubbi wasn't sure but it was something to ponder.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane's Castle**_  
  
"Blast them!"  
  
Lady Bane growled. Her spell of Cubs' Fever had worked wonderfully but the gummies, as usual, had a recourse. The knight would recover. That was not a major set back merely an annoying one. There was however, quite a bit of hope for potential with this Toni and his mother. So far, the little information she had gathered was invaluable.   
  
Toni's will was already half broken. If she could break it the rest of the way, she would know very well how to deal with the rest of these gummies. Given the gummies' constant way of always beating her some way or another, she also found herself getting a great deal of pleasure out of seeing the boy's tears. It made her smile, especially learning more and more on his fears.  
  
Regarding the boy through a viewing spell, she considered her options before deciding on a simple dream and visions spell. Very easy to cast, in fact, amateurs often practiced with them as she had when she had been younger. She had been a mere apprentice but able to cast one with great detail. Now, with centuries of experience, a grotesquely detailed night terror would be child's play.   
  
Child's play. Such an appropriate choice of words.   
  
Turning her attention back to the cub currently focused in her attention, the dark sorceress waved her hands and muttered a sparse few words to turn any thing he saw into something worth fearing.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Corvi's House**_  
  
"Hang on, just a little longer Mom."  
  
Her fever had shot through the roof in the recent day. Corvi was spending his every waking hour turning the cloth over and re-drenching it. Morri was watching Cori, hopefully getting him something to eat. The teenaged boy would eat later.  
  
Faint wisps of air escaped his mother's mouth in the form of coughing. Splatters of blood dotted the bedspread a moment. Corvi felt his heart freeze in his chest. Falling onto his knees, he begged his mother, almost with tears running.  
  
"Mom, please! Let me go get a healer!"  
  
"No!" came her adamant answer. "No…no healers…"  
  
"Mom, it wasn't their fault!"  
  
"They…didn't save your brother…didn't save your father…"  
  
"At least let them try though, Mom!"  
  
"You…worry too much Corvi…"  
  
"Mom, you're coughing up blood."  
  
His mother opened her eyes and she smiled "Don't worry. My throat's dry, Corvi. Nothing…more."  
  
Corvi snorted, his breath sending his hair up a bit. "Nothing more my eye."  
  
She smiled, "I just need to sleep a little, sweetie."  
  
"Can you at least try and drink some water for me, Mom?"  
  
"That, I can do."  
  
Corvi lifted her up, supporting her upper back, wincing at how hot she felt. She seemed coherent though. He felt a little better when he saw she could at least hold the glass herself but he couldn't shake the splatters of blood from his mind. He knew enough to know that was quite serious, no matter what the illness nor who the victim.   
  
Still…Mother requested no healer…he had to respect that. He had to.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi’s Room_ **  
  
Tavi finished telling her aunt of the dreams that had been bothering her. For a long moment, Councilor Wooddale sat in thought.   
  
“I believe,” she started finally. “that, in a way, Destini is trying to help you. She used the medallion you absorbed much more than any of the rest of us. In a way, it was a part of her, as it is now fully a part of you. Some of her may also reside in the medallion. I believe she’s trying to look out for you.”   
  
“Can I make her stop? It’s creepy and weirding me out.”   
  
“Well, I suppose that’s up to the both of you. Tavi, along with the responsibility that goes with what you did comes also a kind of adaptation if I understand the old texts correctly. Emi failed to adapt to the medallion’s power. It consumed her. You must come to terms with what now lay inside of you. Perhaps you should try... talking to it.”   
  
“Talk to it? But it’s just a thing, auntie.”  
  
“Even a thing can have a voice.” Her aunt shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt to try, and I’m not sure how else to get straight at the matter without addressing it directly, and quite literally. The next time you sleep, try taking control of your dream and see what happens then.”   
  
“But how DO I take control of my own dreams? I’m asleep!”   
  
Councilor Wooddale smiled. “Practice.”   
  
A knock at Tavi’s door jerked their heads around.   
  
“Er... Councilor Wooddale? Sarrika is requesting you.”   
  
The councilor nodded at the summons from the messenger gummi and stood.   
  
Tavi held onto her aunt’s hand. “Aunt Toffi...”   
  
She bestowed another smile on her young niece. “Everything will be fine, Tavi. Trust yourself, as well as your fellow gummies.”   
  
Without another word, Councilor Wooddale left.   
  


* * *

  
**_Gummadoon Infirmary_ **  
  
She wasn’t certain why they might call her in such apparent urgency. It must be something wrong. Councilor Wooddale sighed. She was thinking in a very negative and unGummi fashion. Not like herself at all. The situations of the last few days had taken their toll on many gummies and she must not succumb. Steeling herself for another blow to glance unharming off her shoulder, metaphorically, Councilor Wooddale entered the infirmary.   
  
“Oh, come back here, you!”   
  
“Ale’, ale’!”  
  
“Grab him quick before he gets into the--”   
  
“Too late...”   
  
Wooddale was stopped in her tracks at the scene. Sirs Plucki and Gumlittle chasing after their fellow-turned-cub, naked as the day he was born. Little Sir Blastus squealed as Sir Plucki snatched him up, just as his little hands grabbed the medicine tray and sent it crashing to the floor.   
  
Healer Sarrika, usually quite sedate, was laughing her smock off.   
  
Councilor Wooddale blinked, took another look at the scene, and was also attacked by a fit of laughter. 

* * *

  
**_Toni’s Room_**  
  
“Gummie...” the cub whimpered, tossing in his bed as the nightmare unfolded.   
  
He was on the ramparts, on the battlements, on the topmost of Castle Gummadoon. He was waving to Gumlittle as largely as he could but his knight could not see him. He yelled and screamed at the top of his lungs but Gumlittle did not hear him. And the danger trudged near.   
  
Why couldn’t they see it? Gumlittle was a tall gummi. Why couldn’t he see the evil on the horizon? It lurched ever near, just as his knight walked ever closer to its waiting jaws.   
  
“Gummie, no, NO!!!” He had to get down, to run to Gumlittle and warn him! But there were no doors nor stairs nor any way off his high vantage! Toni raced around the ramparts, in circles around the highest tower, ringed the battlements several times. No way down!!   
  
“GUMLITTLE!!” he yelled.   
  
Sir Gumlittle kept walking.   
  
Toni could only watch in horror as his knight marched on, met the horror, fought it in vain, and was consumed screaming in agony. He blinked, his throat locked tight, his body numb. No... NO! NOOOOO!!! Tears ran a river down his shocked face.   
  
“Hah! You couldn’t do anything to save him. Just LIKE you to be worthless!”   
  
Mother! She was in the empty castleyard below. So far below him... But it was her. He was safe up here. Except that he could hear her...   
  
Huge clawed hands, like those from the horror that had eaten his knight, reached high, high up and grabbed him. They pulled him only so that he would topple over the edge. Falling, falling!! Toni couldn’t stop his plummet. He met the castleyard below with a resounding crunch. At first, he felt nothing. Then, as the shock wore off, he felt it all. Unending pain, fire, nerves twisted and plucked, and in his ears the greatest pain of all. And mother was kicking him savagely as she spoke.   
  
“I should bury you! You should never have been born! I’ll never forgive you for being the lowliest ever! I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!!”   
  
Even crying hurt, but Toni couldn’t do anything else. As his body lay broken, and beaten by his mother, while his mind lay ravaged just like it, too, had fallen from the ramparts, he could do nothing but take the beating. He could think of nothing but of his loss of Gumlittle, his inability to stop the constant torture around him, and that perhaps the only way out was to end it all himself...


	12. Chapter 12

_**Corvi’s Home** _  
  
He didn’t sleep well. His brothers did but they didn’t have the problems that were weighing on him.   
  
Corvi stretched, yawned, and sighed. Perhaps Mom was right and all she needed was sleep. Still, he just couldn’t bring himself to not check up on her.   
  
He crept up to her door and opened it a crack. She was lying on her back, her eyes were closed, and her mouth open a bit. He frowned. She made a wheezing sound when she breathed. He didn’t hear it now. Maybe she was better. Elation filling him, he stepped in and moved to her bedside. He felt her forehead, sure that her fever had finally broke.   
  
Cold. Cold? How could that be? “Mom?”   
  
When he got no reply, he nudged her shoulder, then shook her a bit. She moved funny when he shook her but she didn’t stir.   
  
“Mom.” His voice louder, more firm, he shook her harder.   
  
Her whole body moved.   
  
She was stiff. She was cold. She was...   
  
Corvi’s eyes went wide. White, cold fear seized him. “No. No...” He shook her hard enough to rock the bed but it only cemented what his mind was trying to deny. Mom... Mother... was--   
  
“Co’vi?”   
  
He whirled, fright prompting him. Cori was up?? He couldn’t see this. No,  he couldn’t!   
  
Corvi ran from the room and shut the door with a solid thump just as his littlest brother came into the hallway.   
  
“Co’vi? Is Mama awake?”   
  
He couldn’t tell Cori. He couldn’t tell either of his brothers. Not yet. He couldn’t tell them...   
  
Corvi walked over to his littlest brother and wrapped him in a strong hug.   
  
“Co’vi? Is Mama still asweep?”   
  
“... Ah-huh.”   
  
“When’s she gonna wake up?”   
  
“She’s not going to, Cori. She’s going to stay asleep for a long time. A very long time...” He couldn’t take it anymore. Tears fell from his eyes and fell on top of his little brother’s head.   
  
He may not understand what that meant but Cori could tell that his brother was very upset and sad. He started to cry, too, because of that, and because he was just told he wouldn’t see Mama for a long time.  
  
Corvi held his brother close as he tried to comfort his little brother, not knowing how to explain that their mother had passed away.  Seeing how young he was, he was not sure how to explain death to his little brother.  Corvi had seen recently since the battles ended how hard it was to explain to the youngest of cubs that members of their own family had died in battle and would never come home.  
  
Cori held his older brother whimpering into his older brothers chest, making Corvi's shirt soaked with his tears.  He could not understand why his Mother was asleep and was not waking up, all he could think was he needed her, and could see that Corvi needed her to.  Neither cub was sure what was going to happen.  
  
They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, as Corvi let his brother cry as much as he wanted to.  Corvi still remembered how hard it was for the twin knights, when one was killed in battle, how it even effected Ramsei.  He wondered if the other knights were also affected as they were by death.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi's room_**  
  
Tavi was still wondering what her Aunt meant about taking control to her dreams,  
she never heard of this.  All she knew since the battles she was having trouble sleeping a full night without waking up.  Her dreams were intense but not as bad as she seen how Cubbi's were.  Tavi began to wonder, could the medallion in her start to cause night terrors as bad as Cubbi's had been, and still were at times, since Zorlock was destroyed.    
  
As Tavi laid down on her bed in her darkened room, she started to think more on what her Aunt meant exactly about talking to the medallion inside her.  She was still puzzled on what Aunt Toffi meant.    
  
Tavi while holding a pillow off her bed, felt the glow of the medallion inside her and wondered what destiny had in store for her.  
  
She knew she would never end up how Emi did, but still wondered what Fate had store for her.  She wondered, seeing and experiencing, what had just happen recently, if Cubbi was having these same thoughts.  As she though, she drifted to sleep still wondering what Gum had laid out for her future.

* * *

  
 ** _Corvi's Home_**  
  
It didn't take long for the crying to summon Morri from his sleep. It was early so he wandered into the hallway rubbing his eyes. "Cori? Corvi? What's goin' on?" His eyes focused, swiftly seeing tears on both his brothers' faces. Walking over, he tugged on Corvi's long hair gently. "Corvi?"  
  
The teenager lifted his head and pulled Morri into his arms, wrapping his arms as tight as he could around the cub. Morri didn't say anything but rested his head on Corvi's shoulder, hoping that would bring him some comfort. The teen shifted so he sat down and pulled both his siblings into his arms. Cori was starting to fall back asleep, mostly from the early hour and the crying, it created a great deal of emotional drain.   
  
Morri however was looking at Corvi with questioning eyes.  
  
"Corvi? What's going on?"  
  
The teen got up, cradling the now sleeping toddler, never saying a word. Morri trailed behind him, grasping at his shirt. "Corv? Tell me!"  
  
"Shush. I will in a moment."  
  
Corvi was usually pretty formal, at least when things got serious but that was still pretty weird for him to say. Morri fell silent but followed his sibling as they walked into Cori's room. Corvi laid his brother down and then laid against the crib a moment, resting his eyes. Morri walked over and put an arm on his. He didn't know what was wrong but Corvi looked like the world had crashed onto his shoulders.  
  
"Corvi?"  
  
The young squire glanced down, "Mor, come with me."  
  
The smaller cub did so. Corvi stopped in the hall and sat down. Morri sat by him, "Corvi?"  
  
"Morri, Mom isn't going to get better." He hated to say it but he had to say it as it was or he was never going to get through this.  
  
"What? Sure she is! Mom said-"  
  
"She's dead, Morri."  
  
Morri froze and the blood drained out of his face. His lips mouthed no but no noise came out. "She…can't…"  
  
"She is…"  
  
Morri looked up at Corvi "She can’t!" He leapt up, his eyes flashing. "You're a liar!"  
  
"You think I'm liking this news any better than you, Morri!?" he demanded, tears stinging his own eyes.  
  
"She can't be dead! Papa's dead already!"  
  
"I know!" Corvi screamed right back. He knew he could wake up Cori but at the moment, his emotions took over, full swing and howled "Shut up Morri! You think I would lie about this? Do you think I'm that twisted?! I went to check on her this morning and she was cold as ice and she wasn't breathing! She's dead! I hate it but she is!"  
  
"Mama…" Morri's eyes welled up and he flung his arms around Corvi. "She was getting better, she can't be!"  
  
Corvi didn't say anything, not trusting himself not to cry and seeing him cry was the last thing Morri needed right now. He wrapped his arms around his brother and laid back against the wall, letting Morri wail into his chest. He was emotionally drained and it took too much energy to reassure his brother verbally so he just wrapped his arms about him. He wanted someone to wail into himself but that was not an option for him. He was eldest, he was the man of the house, in charge of the house-  
  
"What's going to happen to us, Big Brother?"  
  
Corvi looked down. His own heart froze. Would his brothers have to go to adoptive homes? He would stay at the palace he knew but they weren't trainees. They had no relatives. Corvi's palms began to sweat with fear. He would not lose his brothers that much he knew. He didn't know how but he was not going to be separated from them. Normally, he would have said adoption would probably have served someone best but now, with them being all he had left, his heart trembled at the thought of losing them. They were all he had left.   
  
Gummies tried to keep siblings together, as much as was possible. But his brothers, especially Cori would be snatched up instantly. He was a teenager.  
  
He wouldn't be able to go with them, he knew. He wouldn't accept that. He couldn't. He had lost his father, his mother now. His grandparents were long dead as were any other relatives. His siblings were his rocks, his last binding to sanity.  
  
Without them, he was all alone.  
  
And being alone was a fate worse than death.  
  
Already, the house felt dead…no, not dead, don't think that word. Empty…yes, that was a better word. It felt cold and lifeless…there was that word again! Perhaps, it was impossible to describe a life alone without using that word, those details. It broke his heart just thinking it, as it brought that horrible thought, image of his still mother back to mind. He looked down and tightened his grip on his brother. Morri was warm, Morri was alive. Morri was still with him.   
  
"We're going to have to work together, Morri. I'm going to stay here for a little bit but when I go back to training, I'm trusting you with Cori, alright?"  
  
Morri looked up. "What are you going to do?"  
  
"Right now…I have to…Mother….deserves to…rest."  
  
Morri nodded "I'll help…"  
  
"No…no…I need you here in case Cori wakes up."  
  
Morri eyed him but then nodded "But you need help too…"  
  
"I'll be okay…it'll help me to have you with Cori."  
  
Morri eyed his brother, tears staining his face. "Are we-"  
  
"I don't know how Morri but we're staying together. I'll  take care of you both."  
  
"By yourself?"  
  
"I'm not going to lose you two to anyone else if that's what you're asking."  
  
"Can you do that?"  
  
"You're my helper, right?"  
  
Morri wiped his eyes "right…"  
  
"then we'll be fine. We worked together great while Mom was sick, right?"  
  
Morri nodded "Right…"  
  
"We just have to keep doing that. It isn't going to be easy but we're not going to lose each other I promise."  
  
"How can you be so sure…"  
  
Corvi didn't want to reply as he didn’t know for sure how he was going to do this but he knew he had to keep his brothers with him, no matter what the Council said, or the knights or anyone else. He didn't care what they thought. He wasn't going to lose his brothers. If that meant keeping Mother's death under wraps and not mourning her, then so be it.  
  
"We'll be okay, I promise." Corvi's own eyes overflowed with tears but he forced his smile to stay. "That's a promise I won’t break."  
  
Morri wrapped his arms around Corvi's waist tightly. Corvi fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around him again. He had to bury Mother before any additional diseases slipped in due to the dead flesh but he could wait a moment and take another minute to hold Morri. He needed it himself.  
  


* * *

  
**_Tavi's Room_ **   
  
_"Child."_   
  
_Tavi opened her eyes and looked around. For a moment, she panicked but then realized she must have been dreaming. The atmosphere was simply empty of any other explanation. It was cold and cool, with a faint wind they blew about. She turned and looked about, her feet shifting to find purchase but she did not shift or move though there was no ground holding her up._   
  
_"Who's.."_   
  
_The gentle chuckle put her at ease. "Fear not child, there is nothing here to harm you. Dreams cannot harm the physical body."_   
  
_She whirled around, still a bit nervous. "Destini, Aunt Toffi was right…you are trying to talk to me."_   
  
_The elder gummi smiled gently and walked over, kneeling so that if there had been a solid ground, she would have been sitting on her knees. "Indeed, young one. Your aunt is very wise."_   
  
_"She's old." Tavi replied simply and Destini laughed._   
  
_"That means very little, small one." She advised gently. "Age will always come with wisdom but wisdom does not always come with age."_   
  
_Tavi frowned; she didn’t quite understand that one. But she shook her head. "You know you're creeping me out with these visions."_   
  
_"it is not I, child."_   
  
_"It's…not?"_   
  
_"No child."_   
  
_"Then what is it? It's creeping me out!"_   
  
_"it is the power you have unleashed."_   
  
_"What power?"_   
  
_"You must understand young one" she said softly and patiently "The power of a gummi medallion is not minute. It is intense."_   
  
_"I know." Tavi said softly "I hear the warnings often enough."_   
  
_"And they are well-founded."_   
  
_"I don't want to-"_   
  
_"Emi frightens you."_   
  
_"Yes! I don't wanna be like that!" Tavi replied, nearly panicked. "I don't want to turn like she did!"_   
  
_"Then listen well little one."_   
  
_She nodded, falling silent._   
  
_"A gummi medallion is not completely understood except that some of us have great potential for magical use and some must work for it. You were blessed with natural ability. When you absorbed the medallion, it was much like opening a dam. All that contained power had been unlocked. Normally, a medallion as it is taps into one's ability, either trained, natural or both and guides it to perfect it."_   
  
_Tavi blinked._   
  
_"Let me try this way." She spoke gently. "Think of one's magical ability as a river and the medallion as an aqueduct. It controls how much is released at once. As one begins training, with small spells, doors are opened slightly. As you become more skilled, you may open the doors wider without risk of harm as you learn to guide the raging waters. But when you absorbed the medallion, you in a sense, no longer have those doors to control the power coming out. These visions and spells with emotion are your power without restraint. You must learn to control it yourself."_   
  
_"How…how do I do that?"_   
  
_"That is where you must learn on your own child. Emi is the only other one to absorb a medallion. The power of it, consumed her."_   
  
_"I don't want to turn out like that."_   
  
_"And you will not. You now know what you must do. Get guidance from  those who know the power well. Read and learn and trust yourself. Trust is the key to the profession of magic, child. You must trust others and trust yourself."_   
  
_Tavi bit her lip._   
  
_"And speak, child. Speak often and be not afraid to speak out about your worries. It is that uncovering of all fears that will render you strong."_   
  


* * *

  
_**Gummadoon Sick Bay**_  
  
Wooddale laughed again "So, Sarrika, how fairs the young knight?"  
  
Sarrika walked over and put a hand to his forehead. Her eyes lit up like stars and she regarded Plucki and Gumlittle with a smile that could be seen miles away "The fever has broken."  
  
Blastus gave her a gentle raspberry, clutching to Plucki's hair, tugging gently. Sarrika turned   
  
"Councilor?"  
  
Wooddale walked over and smiled at the small child. "Allow me another moment." She smiled at the small gummi cub and then looked up at Plucki and Gumlittle. "I shall retrieve the others to return Blastus to his correct age." She chuckled "And thus, give you two a break."  
  
Gumlittle breathed out a sigh of relief. "Toni'll be easy after this."  
  
Plucki chuckled "Never say that." But his heart leapt within his chest. Not so much that Blastus could return to his correct age but that the fact he could return to his age, meant that he was out of danger, that the illness had not taken his youngest brother away from him. He wrapped his arms tightly around the baby cub and squeezed as tightly as he dared. The small cub tried to wiggle free, not liking the confinement but Plucki would not let go.  
  
Memories of losing Aldi and Illsi still cut deep. He laid his cheek onto Blastus' head and just released a deep sigh of relief, thanking the stars.  
  
Gumlittle regarded Plucki a moment before the realization cut him as well. He sat by Plucki's side and as Wooddale left, the threesome were rocking back and forth slowly, embracing one another.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Toni's Home**_  
  
"Toni!"  
  
The cub sat up, startled out of his dream. Drenching in sweat, he sat up, shaking. His thin blanket was hardly providing any warmth but he looked around the dark room and clutched his stuffed fish tightly. It was early morning, well not quite morning but not night anymore thus, he was shocked to see his mother walk in. She never bothered with him in any shape or form. He shuddered, simply remembering that dream.  
  
"Mother-"  
  
"What is wrong with you!?"  
  
He stared. It was _NOT_ said with kindness.  
  
"You're going to wake the entire city with that kind of ruckus!"  
  
"I…I was scared."  
  
"Stupid. Dreams aren't real. Any fool knows that!"  
  
"It seemed so real…" he sniffed.   
  
His mother regarded him silently a moment "Idiot. Can you not even know fact from fantasy any longer?"  
  
He shook harder. "I…I'm sorry."  
  
"Get out of my hair, that would suffice."  
  
Toni eyed her but stood, picked up his sack and headed downstairs. He looked back several times, first at the bottom of the stairs, then at the door, and then as he walked into the early morning bussle.   
  
She never once called him back.  
  
Head down, the cub headed across the ground, never saying a word, never lifting his head.  
  
Why did Mother hate him? How long would it be before that dream became reality?  
  
Spurred by fear, the cub took off at a long run, towards the palace. Mother was fulfilling her part of that horrid dream, calling him so many things and acting so cold. Was the rest of that dream destined to come true as well?  
  
Was Gumlittle destined to die? Was he already dead?  
  
Part of Toni said no as Mother had yet to strike him but he did not know if visions worked by fulfilling exactly as they were seen or if they were merely a taste of what was to come.  
  
The cub plowed through adults; knights and non knights alike as he pushed through the doors of the palace and tore down the hall.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi's Room_**  
  
 _"Tavi…"_  
  
 _"Who's there?"_  
  
 _"Come, don’t you know me?"_  
  
 _The cub turned, her maroon hair blocking her vision for just a moment before her eyes went large, her palms wet and her heart cold._  
  
 _"No…"_  
  
 _"Come, you know you can't run from me. We share the same fate."_  
  
 _Twisted, dark, cold, heartless…_  
  
 _"Emi…I'm not like you!"_  
  
 _"Not yet. You will be."_  
  
 _"No!"_  
  
 _"Your medallion was even more powerful than mine as you absorbed more than one or did you forget?"_  
  
 _Had she? She'd…yes, she'd had her aunt's and Lady Bane's. She had forgotten…_  
  
 _"You'll be consumed far faster than I was."_  
  
 _"NO!"_  
  
 _Hands clasped her shoulders. Tavi turned her face away, not about to look into those dark eyes. Those ruthless and evil eyes. "You and I are the same. Accept it. Feel the power coursing in your veins and pulsing with your every breath. Grasp it, use it!"_  
  
 _"No, no, no! No I won’t! Emi! Stop it! I'm not you Emi Gummi!"_  
  
  
  
The shrieking brought Councilor Berrybottom in. He'd been on his way to join the Gummadoon council for returning Sir Blastus to his normal state... er, age... when the great shrieking started. Upon entering, the cub was white as a sheet, upright in bed, and staring at nothing. Her face frozen in a mask of fear. "Er... Tavi?" he approached cautiously.  
  
The gummi girl threw off the covers and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and clinging for dear life.  
  
"No! No, it's not true!! You have to help me!!"  
  
"Calm yourself, child. I'm supposed to be asking for your help. What seems to be the trouble?"  
  
"A... a n-nightmare. It's... nothing!" She started shaking, despite her words. "I'm... I'm awake now." Her eyes darted about, not certain for a moment whether that was true. "I am awake, right?"  
  
"Why, yes. Er... Are you well enough to help us change Sir Blastus back? It's why I'm here."  
  
"Uh... Yeah. Just a minute. I'll change."  
  
Councilor Berrybottom waited outside for her to do so.  
  
Okay, Tavi, get a grip... She went to her window and looked outside. It was almost the afternoon? Well, she hadn't really slept last night. Quickly she dressed, avoiding the dream at all costs. She pushed it far, far back, and away. She could not have it buggin' her while she helped the Council. Even though it's exactly what Destini told her not to do... Destini! Yes, that was the gummi's name! She remembered!  
  
Bolstered by the knowledge of the fallen sorceress's name, it steeled her to the reality that if Destini had talked to her, then... that really could have been Emi. She shivered, glad whatever it was couldn't touch her when she was awake. Right?


	13. Chapter 13

_**Gummadoon Castle interior**_  
  
The puddles Toni splashed through to reach the palace left a muddy trail in quite a ways. It faded as he plodded on, leaving no further trace of his dash. He just wanted to be alone. Just erase himself from everyone's lives for one day. Couldn't he do that? Not worthy to be a knight, why bother going to training? Mother didn't want him to come back, he'd bet. But... where else could he go?...He found a back room little used. Cobwebs littered the place but it had one time been a meeting room of some type. A cot even lay in the back. It was musty and dusty but had a blanket. He curled up there and endeavored to forget about his life. Perhaps in the castle, closer to Sir Gumlittle, he could forget about his mother's loathing, his own failings, the terrible ache in his body, how thirsty he was, and warm up and forget any nightmares. Just... curl up and forget and... and disappear. That's what he wanted.  
  
Toni tossed and turned on the cot for several minutes. The dream memory plagued him. Not his mother. No... It was the image of Gumlittle being killed, eaten, by the thing in the woods. Had he forgotten? Was he really so selfish not to check up on his knight? Stupid! He felt horrible, in body now as well as mind, but he had to see his Sir Gummie.  
  
Toni got up, dusting absently at his now dusty clothing, and limped a bit out. No, he couldn't be seen looking weak and limping. Just suck up the pain... He could at least do that. And ignore his battered, stinging hands. Just... Just find out if Gumlittle was okay and then he could crawl in his newfound hole again.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Infirmary_**  
  
Sarrika smiled at the results in the fading magical glow. Sir Blastus, now at his normal age, sagged slightly, but his brothers were there to catch   
him, both Sir Plucki and Sir Gumlittle.  
  
"Mon dieu... qu'est-ce que c'est.." muttered the wobbly, shorter knight.   
  
"Easy there, Blastus. Sit down." Gumlittle helped the other knight to the bed. "There's a lot to tell and you still aren't very steady on your feet."   
  
Gumlittle chuckled, passing a look Plucki's way.  
  
Plucki started to chuckle, then laugh whole-heartedly in his enormous relief.  
  
"I... uh... am a bit parched, mon frer..." Blastus cocked his head up at Sir Gumlittle.  
  
"I'll get him something." Plucki offered.  
  
"You sure had us worried there, Blastus." Gumlittle said as the Knight Captain headed out. He nearly ran into Sir Ramsei.  
  
"Oh, Ramsus. You found Sir Cubbi, I assume?"  
  
"Oh, I found him alright. The cub's to stay at the guest cottage with Healer Huckleberri and has Timothi fawning over him almost as much as he's mooning over that girl, Sarrani." Sir Ramsei shook his head.  
  
"Oh, come now, you were young once, too, Ramsus, even though you choose to forget that." He nudged his fellow's shoulder in a kidding fashion.  
  
"Hmph. I assume by your good nature that Sir Blastus is doing well?"  
  
Here, Plucki grinned and clapped his fellow on each shoulder. "Yes! The fever has broken. All will soon be back to normal. If you could, please let Cubbi know he can return tomorrow, when we are certain there are no more outbreaks and no one lingering or contagious to any degree. The Council will do a complete sweep of the place with Sarrika to make certain, and put up certain safeguards to prevent a future attack. Sir Ramsus, this was sickness aided by magic." Here, Plucki turned serious.  
  
"Magic? Who would dare... You don't think--?"  
  
"No, we believe it is Lady Bane this time." He could not allow himself to think about the OTHER who'd started it all last time. Not right now. "So... Yes. Go and inform Cubbi that his confines are not indefinite, and that Blastus will be back on his feet soon! Off you go!"  
  
Not usually so jovial, Ramsei gave him quite a look back but Plucki ignored it. He needn't another reminder from his brother-in-law of what happened the last time magic had brought in a bout of illness...  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Hallways**_  
  
Tavi walked to the kitchen with her aunt, her stomach growling miserably.  
  
"Magic can be draining, niece. One must remember this. There is much still for you to learn. So very, very much."  
  
"That's what... um... Never mind."  
  
Councilor Wooddale stopped. "What were you going to say, dear?"  
  
"N-nothing, Auntie."  
  
Her aunt sighed and kneeled. "A wise person listens with the ears, and with the heart, Tavi. I hear your heart is troubled, and your mind. It's all over your voice. What's the matter?"  
  
She shouldn't hide it. Destini told her not to! She said to trust herself, and to trust others. And she trusted her aunt. Above all gummies...   
  
"Auntie?... Um, I've got something troubling me, and it's big, and I don't want you to freak, cuz I'm already starting to and I just need _someone_ to tell and Cubbi isn't here and I... I just don't know what to do!"  
  
Councilor Wooddale stood, nodding. "Come with me, Tavi. We'll sit and eat and have our talk in private."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Healer Huckleberri's home_**  
  
Cubbi was allowed out today, later on, after sitting for another story and jam and toast and tea session. It seemed all Huckleberri did was tell stories and talk on and on. He knew stuff, sure, but Cubbi just couldn't stay in the house anymore! Plus the rain had stopped, even though clouds loomed. Some sun shone through in patches and Cubbi chased those. He'd just been given word that Sir Blastus was fine or getting there and he'd be able to continue on the track of being a knight once more, and be with Sir Plucki. That'd be the best. He missed the other squires and pages but...   
  
Really? It was Sir Plucki he missed the most.  
  
But first, even though he wanted to play, he felt like doing something productive instead, to show that he wasn't just making his seclusion a holiday. Cubbi headed back to the Gummadoon stables to see how the unicorns were fairing in the sullen weather.  
  
Sarrani, from the window, watched him go. She sighed.  
  
"Don't worry. He's a strong one. He'll manage to keep himself entertained and do his duty, I have no doubt. Just wiser this time and not going to overexert himself." Timothi smiled.  
  
"I suppose. Um... Timothi?"  
  
"Er... Y-yes?" Was this the moment? Was she finally going to ask about their emotional standing? He was fluttery, afraid, and hinged on her every action.  
  
"Tim... I have to go away again. My arrival isn't permanent. I... I don't know when I can come back, or if I can come back for good. There are so many distant warrens that need a capable healer, and larger towns trying to come back to former glory. In my travels, I've seen them all. My heart is that of a true healer. I go where there are those who need me. I... I hope you can understand."  
  
He sighed gustily. Well, it wasn't that he didn't expect it. And it wasn't the end of the world. But... "I know, but... Before you leave again, I want to know one thing."  
  
"Yes?" Now it was her turn to await his next words.  
  
"Sarrani?" His voice cracked a bit. He cleared his throat, kneeled, and drew his small dagger. He held it out before her. "Healer Sarrani, I, Sir Timothi do swear to be by your side in your travels, to support you wherever you go, and protect you in times of need. I swear my sword and... and my heart... to you. Er... If you consent." His face had gone red but he did not falter in his pose of seriousness for this was as serious as any true marriage proposal. Just... slightly different.  
  
The poor girl looked a bit shocked, and flustered. "Um... I... What about your work as a knight here?"  
  
Sir Timothi sheathed the dagger and stood. "There are plenty up-and-coming knights. They won't even miss me. But I have missed you. Terribly. Seeing you again after almost two years? I... I don't want to miss you anymore."  
  
Sarrani quirked a brow at him, a bit of smile poking through. "I didn't know you could be so serious."  
  
"We've both grown a bit since last we saw one another."  
  
"So... Was that a... a marriage proposal or a knight's decree?" The love of his life giggled at him.  
  
"Well..." He shuffled his feet. "That's entirely up to you, milady."  
  
Giggling a bit giddily, she threw her arms around him and hugged him soundly.  
  
From the door edge of his room, Healer Huckleberri backed away from his eavesdropping, lest his chuckling give him away.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Palace_**  
  
Toni, not knowing where Gumlittle was, panicked and hoped his dream wasn't true. His mother's harsh words were cutting through him like a knife into soft leather, it twisted into him like a dull sword plunged into his heart. "He can't be dead, he can't be dead! Please Gum, please… please say he is okay, please don't let this dream take place.  
  
Toni, not watching where he was going, ran flat into a wall at full speed. He had his stuffed toy fish with him but as he fell, it dropped out of his tight grip as he slid down the wall, out cold.    
  
A passerby gummi saw it happen and checked on the small cub, "Son, are you all right?" The brown adult Gummi, looking about twenty two, kneeled down and checked on Toni; he could fell he was sweating and pale, not sure what to do, he picked up the cub to find help. He could see the cub was in some sort of night terror trance that he could not break him out of and was worried he had caused serious damage to his head. He could see the swelling growing on his brow above his eyes and knew that was not a good sign.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Stables**_  
  
Cubbi checked the unicorns, still hoping he be able to return to training soon. He was learning to like study sessions but enjoyed the weapons training the best.    
  
"Hi Vite!" he grinned, rubbing the horse's nose. "Guess what? Blastus is gonna be better soon!"  
  
Maybe it was an odd thing, talking to a unicorn but Cubbi had grown up among forest creatures and spoke to them the same as he did anything else or anyone else. His reward for such behavior was making a great many animal friends, including all the Gummadoon stallions in recent days. Vite as well as Sharpsight seemed to be particularly fond of him.  
  
This day, Vite seemed to appreciate the news and neighed with pleasure, stomping one hoof. Cubbi beamed,"You want out to the field?"  
  
Now, this was usually an adult-only task but it seemed to Cubbi that since Vite was so obedient to him that there was no reason why he couldn't lead him the little distance to the field. After all, he was not the type of stallion that would run off. He stood up, leaning over and unlatched the gate, laughing as it swung open. As Vite walked out, Cubbi jumped off the gate and walked over to the stallion's side.   
  
The small unicorn snorted, throwing his head back and forth then stopped. Cubbi looked up at him and the unicorn bent down slightly, almost all the way to the ground and snorted at the child again. Cubbi stared a moment then asked "you want me to ride you?"  
  
Vite snorted firmly and Cubbi took hold if his mane gently and pulled himself onto his back, bareback. Vite stood up and continued onto the field. Cubbi blinked but then laughed slightly. It was a little like riding a rama but smoother. Vite didn't make such sudden movements. The unicorn stopped by the gate, turning long ways beside it, allowing Cubbi to lean over and unlatch it. The sun had dried much of the rain but the grass was still damp, making for a wonderful smell as Vite made his way over the fields. Several of the other unicorns had been let out to graze. Vite kept away from them, content to gallop lightly.   
  
Cubbi kept his eyes focused, unsure for one thing. He knew he wasn't supposed to guide the unicorns himself but Vite had not given him any trouble and in many ways, the stallion had asked him to ride him out into the field. Still, the young squire wasn't sure if the knights would appreciate it. Oh well…nothing to be done about it now.  
  
"You've a talent with him, child."  
  
Cubbi turned, stunned and found Timothi and Sarrani watching him from the side. Cubbi blushed in the cheeks. "Sorry, I thought--"  
  
"You're certainly jumpy." Sarrani commented, swinging herself up onto the fence. Cubbi rolled his eyes mentally. She and Timothi had gotten mushy and now she was acting like Sunni did: giddy and weird. Cubbi still didn't understand why girls got like that but he opted not to ponder it too much. He'd learned a long time ago it just made his head hurt.  
  
"Well,  I don't wanna screw up again." He said quickly. "I want to help out though-"  
  
Timothi smirked, regarding the cub gently. "You're doing fine. Blastus won't care you took Vite out. He lets Corvi all the time."  
  
Cubbi breathed a sigh of relief at that and patted the unicorn's neck who snorted with pleasure. Timothi pulled himself up onto the fence. "You know kiddo, we just received word that you can head back to the palace tonight. Sarrika's doing the final checks for illness but we think it was confined to Blastus."  
  
Cubbi's heart leapt. "Does that mean Blastus is all better?"  
  
"My sister," Sarrani assured him, "Is keeping him overnight for observation, just in case but yes. He's already complaining he wants up, she says and that's always a good sign."  
  
Cubbi beamed, relief covering his face. He didn't want to mess up, he hated doing that. And this meant he got to see Plucki tonight! Though he was relieved Blastus was alright, his heart leapt most at knowing he got to go back to Plucki. Cubbi didn't understand why he was so attached to the Gummadoon Captain but he was. Plucki managed to make everything okay, no matter what it was.  
  
The cub gave Timothi a grin then eased Vite into a slow gallop over the field.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Palace_**  
  
Toni blinked, coming to and then sat up, rubbing his aching head.  
  
"You're here early, lad."  
  
Toni's ears perked and he turned, finding Plucki knelt next to him, holding the ice on the lump over his eyes. "And already getting into mischief I see." Plucki teased him gently, knowing all too well how accident prone he could be. Toni was pretty klutzy at times, he'd hit that stage. All the squires had hit it at some points and Toni had never been overly graceful but it was worse as of late. So, when Josai had brought him in with a large lump on his head, it didn't surprise the knight.  
  
Toni's eyes widened "Plucki?"  
  
Plucki chuckled, moving the child's hands "Here, hold it there." He said firmly but gently. "It'll keep the swelling down."  
  
"Plucki, you left sickbay, does that mean-"  
  
"Yes, Blastus is better."  
  
"Can I see him?"  
  
"I don't know lad. He needs rest still-"  
  
"Just for a minute." He said honestly. He felt a fool, first for shedding all those stupid tears and now for this lump on his head. Deserved every inch of that pain. He didn't even deserve this ice but Plucki would make him keep it on or he'd hold it himself. Just like him to cause them more problems…  
  
No time for that! He reprimanded himself. What about Gumlittle? Was he with Blastus? Or had he…was he…  
  
"Can I see Gummie too?"  
  
Plucki eyed the cub, a little surprised. Toni was always one that tried to be 'overly mature.' He had stopped using "Gummie" a while ago. Still, given the stress of the recent days, the Gummadoon Captain dismissed it. He smiled. "Well, Sarrika says we aren't contagious anymore otherwise, I wouldn't be here so I don't see why not."  
  
Toni beamed and before Plucki could say a thing, the child plowed past him and he could hear his feet slamming up the stairs. His mind was on Gumlittle and him alone. Mother had started to be cruel and cold so did that mean Gumlittle's death was coming soon? His heart beat erratically, with fear, just thinking of it. Gumlittle, one of the few gummies he held so close to his heart.   
  
The cub froze as soon as he reached the hallway, slamming on his breaks. What right did he have? He was…he'd already given Plucki problems and he hadn't even been here for three hours. Perhaps it was better for him to remain in his little hole of a room. Hidden away and thus unable to bring them anymore trouble. Still, that dream ate at his heart. He had to at least know if Gumlittle was alright, then he could run before he did them any trouble or harm.   
  
Slowing to a tiptoe, the cub stuck his eyes around sickbay's doorway.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sickbay**_  
  
"Mon Dieu, I see…" Blastus mused.   
  
Gumlittle smiled at his brother from his bedside. "Yes, you gave us quite a scare. We almost thought we'd lost you."  
  
Blastus chuckled "Come on, did you think me that easily conquered?"  
  
"You're stubborn, that's certain enough."  
  
"Has served all three of us well." Blastus reminded him. Gumlittle laughed; glad to hear Blastus' sense of humor. His heart had dreaded that he would never hear it again. Death had visited them a great many times, each time narrowly passing them over. Only once before could Gumlittle remember death really cutting deep…no, three times he realized now.  
  
Aldi.  
  
Lucki.  
  
Yaci.  
  
Suddenly overwhelmed with relief, he pulled Blastus into a tight embrace. Blastus blinked, more than a little surprised but he laughed and patted his brother's shoulder. "Mon ami, I'm fine."  
  
Gumlittle didn't answer, lots of possibilities rushing through his mind.  
  
What if Blastus had wound up sharing all those loved ones' fate? The thought almost snapped Gumlittle's heart in two. Lucki and Aldi had been so young when they'd died and that had been a time of utmost sorrow. He remembered that well enough. Though it had been years ago, Aldi's death had cut Gummadoon deep through each and every one of them. Gumlittle, Blastus and Ramsei had been second only to Plucki.   
  
Gumlittle tightened his grip slightly just remembering it. They're returned from sealing Zorlock only to receive horrific news. While they'd been gone Illsi and Aldi had each fallen ill with a mysterious illness. Illsi had succumbed almost overnight. Aldi had lasted a little longer but he had died within the past few hours. Oh, that news had crumbled Plucki more than any attack could.  
  
Gumlittle closed his eyes slightly, remembering all too well. It had taken he and Blastus days to get him to even come out of his quarters. Understandably, the loss of his family had crumbled his heart but like Plucki was known to be like, he'd refused to crumble under it though his eyes had lost a great deal of their spark. In the recent year, with the addition of Cubbi as his squire, they'd seen his eyes light up like they hadn't in years. It had taken time.  
  
Then there was Yaci. Though an adult when he died in this past war and a knight of his own right, Gumlittle had trained him, in both the ways of knighthood and the ways of life. He'd taught him much, ranging from simple things about battle tactics to complex things about life that he had acquired in his many years. Knighthood, war and growing up had taught the Gummadoon knight much and he had wished to equip his squires with as much as he could.   
  
He had done well with Yaci. He'd grown and become strong, smart, and dependable. Gumlittle remembered well enough watching the child change from  a cub into a bear, a little at a time. Perhaps that was why his heart still ached for him. It was the price being a mentoring knight had. Unlike human knights, gummies became extremely attached to their trainees and to their fellow fighters in general. They created an extended family of sorts. Brothers, sons…linked in the heart. It made the gummi forces far more formidable than the less in tuned human forces but it also made them suffer more from their losses.  
  
Lucki…  
  
A greater tragedy, Gumlittle was sure, had not yet been generated than Lucki's death. The boy had been young, younger than even Corvi. He'd just turned eleven about a month before the war broke out and Gumlittle had just started to let him train with the weapons. The younger squires trained with practice weapons but Lucki had then taken to a real bow like he was born to hold one. Oh, his aim was far from perfect and he had a bad habit of holding the arrow in the middle rather than near the feather but his determination more than made up for it.   
  
Gumlittle did not feel ashamed to admit that many a time, he had returned to the boy's empty chambers and simply sat there, eyeing his things. The old mind teasers he used to love, the books he used to read and yes, the toys he used to have, mainly animals. That had been one of Lucki's strengths. He was one with animals most of the time, using them as both a hobby and to enhance his training. He'd taught his little sister how to ride when she was only four. His parents had been worried about that but Gumlittle knew Lucki wouldn't let anything happen to her. He'd taken to being a big brother like he'd been doing it his entire life.  
  
Yes…being a big brother was something Gumlittle knew all too well.   
  
He smirked down at Blastus and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "We knew you were too stubborn for this."  
  


* * *

  
  
Toni regarded Gumlittle and Blastus from the doorway silently. He lowered his eyes and his ears drooped considerably though his heart felt lightened. Gumlittle was alive and that gave him a sense of hope. He pulled away, lest he disturb the two. Surely the last thing anyone wanted right now was his pitiful fur around. The boy turned to dart down the hall but the pain in his leg made him stumble a little and Blastus caught it.  
  
"Mon ami, I think we have a petit visitor, n'est-ce pas?"  
  
Gumlittle stuck his head out in the hall. "Toni? What are you doing here so early?"  
  
The boy glanced up, forcing his face back to its usual attitude but he couldn't resist throwing his arms around Gumlittle's waist. He took an inhale, trying to convince his mind that indeed his mentor was alive and well. Gumlittle's strong grip returned the hug after a moment and Toni smirked, feeling Gumlittle stroke his hair a little, his deep chuckle making Toni's heart leap.   
  
"Well, hello to you too, lad."  
  
"I missed you, Gumlittle!" the boy replied, looking up with a wide smile, his first genuine one in days.  
  
Gumlittle chuckled, ruffled the child's white hair. Toni closed his eyes, grinning, letting the elder knight's touch bob his head from side to side gently. Toni finally said, "So, is Blastus better?"   
  
"You could say that, mon ami," the deeply accented voice called. Toni beamed and ran in, happy to see Blastus as well. Though his dreams did not include Blastus' death, he was reassured to see the knight nonetheless and rushed him, flinging his arms around his neck. Blastus laughed out loud and returned the cub's embrace before releasing him. "Qui, Ol' Blastus should be up and about by tomorrow if Sarrika does not find any hiding illnesses."  
  
Toni beamed, "Did Ramsei tell the others?"  
  
"Oh, I'd imagine not yet as it is fairly early." Gumlittle replied. "In fact, I'm surprised you're here so early Toni."  
  
The cub's face fell. So…it seemed Gumlittle didn't…did he not want him around as much either? No, that couldn't be what he meant. Gumlittle cared about him. If nothing else, Toni could always depend on his mentor. Hearing this was a fierce blow to his heart for a moment until Gumlittle spoke up again, smiling as he gave the cub's hair another jostle.  
  
"You should get some more sleep, lad. Ramsei'll most likely do a little training today but tomorrow, we'll be back and about." He smirked. "And knowing Blastus, he'll give you boys a bit of a break to have some fun and regroup."  
  
Toni beamed. Inwardly, though, he kicked himself. He was being selfish! Blastus was better and here he was, stealing his time with his brothers away! The cub drew away, nodding. He walked out of the room, laying against the hall wall a little bit, sighing.   
  
Gumlittle was safe so the cub trod back to his self reclusive hole, secure with the knowledge that his beloved Gumlittle was alive.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Forest Just beyond Gummadoon_**  
  
Sweat pouring off his forehead, Corvi rested his head against the shovel. This was not a chore he liked in the least and the fact that it was his own mother made it a thousand times worse. He had managed his mother's body out to the forest without detection and thus, here, where she'd set up a memorial to his father, he'd buried her. It had taken a great deal of time and he was grateful to Morri for keeping an eye on Cori.   
  
The boy knelt, more like fell, to his knees on the freshly overturned dirt, his eyes still so deeply coated in tears that it was hard to see straight. Every second he was digging, preparing his mother's body and then, as just now, overturning the dirt back, it didn’t even seem real. He kept staring at the ground, just imagining that it would vanish like a bad dream and his mother would return from the house, scolding him that he would catch his death out here but nothing of the sort happened.  
  
It never would again.  
  
Corvi laid his forehead against the shovel, tears leaking out of his eyes but he didn't cry, not verbally. Rather, he led the tears seep out. He couldn't afford to break down and wail. He still had his brothers and that gave him a sense of pride and of motivation, determination. Though his heart still burned with pain, he stood, looking back towards the house and an odd sense of courage flooded his soul and he strode back, head held high despite the tears that still continued down his face. He would not let this conquer him or his siblings. He refused to be broken by it.  
  
Strangely, he could almost hear his mother laughing behind him, saying "You're just like your father."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Palace_**  
  
The ancient sorceress leaned backward in her chair, ignoring her bumbling Troggels. She could see Gummadoon through an elementary visionary spell. She saw the day fade away with swiftness, saw the squires return and saw that child-knight rush his mentor with such sickening affection that it made her retch mentally. Aside that image, her eyes went to two others.  
  
The blue squire was one. He kept to himself, did not emerge from his holed up room when the other squires rushed out for breakfast. Or lunch. Or training. In fact, the Gummadoon knight Gumlittle was looking for the squire when he didn't show up for dinner, given that they had given the squires leave to return about midday.   
  
She scowled, ignoring it. It wasn't important right now…soon but not just yet.  
  
Rather, she turned her attention to the little girl wizardess.   
  
She frowned. There was more to this than met the eye and it dripped with opportunity.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Evening, Toni's Refuge_**  
  
Toni moaned and turned in his fevered sleep, disturbed by the jovial voices outside his dusty hovel. He wasn't aware that it was Cubbi reunited with Sir Plucki. It was a mocking joy to his fevered mind. He was not aware that the pain in his leg had grown to a hot warmth that affected his mind, nor was he restful in his sleep. Lack of food, water, and a troubled mind made rest impossible, led on by his leg wound's growing fever. It hurt to exist and completed his torment beyond anything else the cub had before experienced. Lady Bane need not assist in lending to his night terrors this time. That one was enough. They plagued him hour after hour, his body having forced such sleep on him and the fever keeping him locked in the torturous slumber. It was agony, hour after hour of unrelenting pain, nightmares, and feelings of no self worth.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Councilor Wooddale's bedchambers_**  
  
"Ah..." her Aunt Toffi said simply, her eyes on the patchwork quilt of her bed.  
  
"That's all? Just... ah?" Tavi sighed in frustration. She also sat on her aunt's bed, glad they were here instead of Tavi's room. Too many interruptions there. Nobody came into her auntie's bedroom.  
  
Councilor Wooddale gave her niece a patient smile. It did no good to tell the cub what she'd been told scared even herself! "Yes. Ah. It would take another encounter for us to determine if what you saw was a dream or the real Emi, niece. And Destini as well."   
"What else could they be? That is how Emi looks, right? How I described her? I've never seen her before! How could it be just a dream conjuration??"  
  
The old gummi sighed, nodding. "This is true. But there is one other possibility. The medallion has ways of letting you see things. Two now reside within you, Tavi. There are bound to be... repercussions. The Destini and Emi you saw may have been conjured from the medallions themselves. A warning perhaps. Or perhaps even as tutors. It isn't outside the realm of possibility."  
  
"Still, Auntie, I need to know more about both of them. And... I wanna know about Emi first. How did she become what she became? I need to know."  
  
"That may be difficult, Tavi."  
  
"Why? Won't the others let me know, given these circumstances?"  
  
"It isn't that we wouldn't, niece. It's that we're, well, not really sure how it happened."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Castle, Cubbi's room_**  
  
Cubbi, nestled in his bed, couldn't stop smiling. Plucki pulled over a reading chair and sat down.  
  
"I'm surprised you're still wide awake, Cubbi."  
  
"I'm not tired. I just got back! I wanna know everything that happened while I was gone."  
  
Sir Plucki chuckled. "I'm afraid I can't relate everything but... It was hard. It's always hard seeing your friends sick. I'm glad you were safe elsewhere."  
  
"I did a really good job taking care of the stallions, Sir Plucki. Just wait and see. Sir Ramsei told you, right?"  
  
Plucki laughed. "Yes, he said something along those lines. What about your other studies, though? Have you been reading more?"  
  
Cubbi's face fell. "Er... Well... I didn't have time cuz I was doing chores so much."  
  
The Gummadoon knight cocked a brow at him. "No time for studying, eh? Well, let's see where you're at, alright?" He stood, retrieved one of only two books from the shelf, and handed it to Cubbi.  
  
The cub took the book with reluctance and cracked open the fresh pages. He had no trouble seeing the words but his reading was well under the normal for his age. He glanced at Sir Plucki. "I kinda thought you'd forgotten about my reading."  
  
Plucki smirked. "You are my squire and I feel responsible for this part of your training, too. Had trouble amongst your classmates and teacher last I'd heard, correct?"  
  
Ashamed, Cubbi's head ducked down. "Didn't know you'd heard that, either. I... I just don't like reading in front of them."  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"I... Plucki, you know I'm not very good."  
  
"I know. And I'm offering my services as a knight to help you get better."  
  
"You mean you'd tutor me? To read better?"  
  
"Yes. Reading is important, Cubbi. Always remember that."  
  
The cub beamed anew and looked at the book again with a sense of hope, and eagerness. He had Plucki back, after all. He could believe in anything!

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
She'd poured over her scrolls and ancient texts, seeking a particular spell or series of spells. These gummies were so focused on their friends and loved ones. It was disgusting, true, but she could see a lot of potential, starting with that furry little sorceress. Instead of some true torment, how about a look at the potential inside of her. Give that little wench a taste of what true power can do and have her think about all the power she had bottled up inside of her just itching to be let out.  
  
Ahh.... There it is. A spell of resurrection. Difficult, and lengthy, but well worth it. It would rattle every gummi mind in the castle and for miles around once they knew. That little sorceress had a brother. Now where would they have buried him...

* * *

  
 _ **Cubbi’s Room, Gummadoon**_  
  
Cubbi, though he was reading below the level a cub his age should be reading, was doing his best for Plucki. He'd been working on it, really! Sure, he spent more time doing other things he didn't like, and he really didn't like reading at all and that's why he always did it last, if he had time. And, yeah, sometimes he didn't make time for it but... Well, a knight's got other responsibilities. And he WAS trying. He wondered as the knight-captain came into his room if he saw his effort.  
  
"Cubbi," started Sir Plucki, standing beside his bed that evening. "Even though you have not been reading much during my absence, you do seem to have picked up a little. Tell me, have you been reading on your own?"  
  
Cubbi blushed and nodded. "Well, sometimes at night when I couldn't sleep I would peek at the story book you would read to me. Sometimes I'd do it after Grammi tucked me in and I couldn't sleep. I think she'd find the book on the floor 'cause I'd find it on my night table in the morning."  
  
Plucki smiled. "You know if you want I can read to you like Grammi did, Cubbi."   
  
Cubbi beamed when he heard this. "You'd do that for me?"  
  
Plucki grinned. "You like being read stories huh?"  
  
Cubbi nodded eagerly. "Yes, that's how I learned about Gummadoon, when Zummi read to me and the others the night before we first met."  
  
Plucki smiled, remembering when he had for the first time met Cubbi on the one hundredth night of that year for the spell that affected all of Gummadoon. After a 100 years spell. So much time gone by... And yet, he could easily relate to Cubbi. He hadn't been the best of students as a cub either and had required tutelage as well. Always playing around too much with his fellow 'brothers' Gumlittle and Blastus. But that was done, the spell was gone, and he was very glad Cubbi was his squire.  
  
Plucki tried not to think of how close he felt emotionally toward Cubbi, and how guilty it'd make him feel later on because it was as if he were taking on a new son to replace Aldi. It wasn't so. He'd never ever thought of Cubbi as a replacement for Aldi. Never... Could he trust himself not to think of Cubbi as a son? Would it be so wrong if he did, in time, do so? Plucki sighed mentally. Not now. No guilt now. He was trying to HELP the lad. Plucki picked up the story book he read Cubbi from at night as he snuggled down in the oversized pillow on his bed.

Plucki read him a story about a gummi knight who battled a dragon. As the knight-captain read, he watched Cubbi. Soon, the young squire's eyes became droopy before sleep finally came.

Plucki smiled as he watched Cubbi. All cubs were the same when asleep. Absolutely perfect. Happening to glance at the floor, Plucki saw a small bag near the cub's bed. He picked it up and found a loved stuffed toy bear. Plucki figured perhaps Cubbi slept with it at night and put it near the squire's right arm.   
  
By instinct, Cubbi sensed it was there and grabbed it, holding tight, not waking once.

* * *

  
 ** _Hidden Room In Gummadoon_**  
  
Toni hadn’t budged, not for a while. He heard Gumlittle calling for him and with little surprise. It was late; he’d remained hidden for most of the day even when he heard Cubbi return with sundown. He could smell the foods cooked but he was reluctant to emerge, even for that. He didn’t feel he was worth the trouble. After all, wasn’t he the one that usually had some complaint on the foods? Picky eater that he was, he deemed himself not worthy of it, at least not today. The cooks and everyone would be all fussy and relieved with the news that the illness had not spread and he didn’t trust himself not to shatter that good mood.  
  
However, as the night wore on and Gumlittle’s voice did not vanish, he found himself kicking himself yet again for his selfishness. Gumlittle was responsible for him while he was here. So, when he had vanished, he’d caused him more trouble. That figured…after all, he was always making trouble for everyone.   
  
The boy stood up, limping from the pain in his leg and feeling a bit dizzy but he shrugged it off. Don’t be weak! He scolded himself. It’s just a hurt leg and one you earned because you were a clumsy oaf! Suck it up and keep going! Show them that at the very least, you’re not a weakling who runs from pain. Especially pain that’s your fault.  
  
The boy pushed the door open and started a soft tread down the hall. The lights were off, which told him that he’d stayed in that room rather late. That didn’t surprise him to be perfectly honest. He would have stayed curled up in there forever if he could. He dusted his clothes off a bit and walked down the hall, towards the voice, which he heard was now echoed by some of the other knights’ voices. He winced inwardly. He’d caused Gumlittle trouble enough to call others in? Just like him to be so stupid…  
  
His heart suddenly froze in his chest.   
  
Stupid Toni. He’d checked on Gumlittle just once since he’d come back. What kind of loyal squire did that?! The dreams never changed, only grew worse as the day wore on. The monster had always remained hidden but the screams had become so vivid that they would echo in his mind after her awoke. The blood because so real its red color flashed in his eyes after he had closed them. The pain that cut through his body he could still feel, making his legs throb whenever he woke up. The insults, the horrible statements cut his heart just as deeply as if his mother was standing there.  
  
Toni decided that without a doubt it was the death of Gumlittle that haunted his young heart the most though. He could have been taken by that beats while he’d been hiding like a fool! Like a cowardly idiot! He broke into a sudden run, his heart jolted into that newfound fear though he could still hear Gumlittle’s voice. What if he went out into the forest to look for him? That monster could get him there! It was so close to Gummadoon! It could come and get him!   
  
The boy’s leg screamed at him but he ignored it, not satisfied until he saw again that his knight was not injured, was not hurt. He couldn’t remember his heart ever hurting this much, couldn’t remember this much fear. Had he driven his knight to go outside and seek him out? Had he sent Gumlittle to his death?  
  
He felt sick.  
  
“Antonius!”  
  
For a brief moment, the cub’s blood ran cold. Mother? Here, like in his dream? Was she going to toss him from the highest towers to land with a sickening crunch, only to have no release? To have no reprieve from the pain? To suffer and not be able to see Gumlittle again? To have failed him? That was decidedly what killed the boy’s heart.  
  
“Toni, where have you been? I’ve been looking for you forever, lad. You missed dinner.”  
  
No, not Mother. That was Gumlittle’s voice.  
  
Toni turned and was met with Gumlittle coming down the hall, looking worried and slightly agitated but not hurt, not dead…alive.  
  
Toni’s face fell at Gumlittle’s serious glance. “Sorry, Gumlittle.”  
  
“Where were you, lad?”  
  
“Just…around.”  
  
Gumlittle eyed the boy and reached out, ruffling his hair, getting a puff of dust. “Looks like you were walking through the old halls.”  
  
Toni shrugged “Maybe a little bit.” That didn’t make him feel _too_ bad. That wasn’t technically a lie.   
  
“You missed dinner.”  
  
“Wasn’t hungry.” Now, THAT was a lie. His stomach was howling and screaming at him, demanding food. He ignored it. Gumlittle eyed him a moment.   
  
“You need to eat a little something, then get a bath and head onto bed.” Here the knights’ serious expression turned iinto a smile. “You gave me quite the scare, Toni.”  
Toni bowed his head, twiddled his left thumb, tapping it against his middle finger, a habit he had when he got nervous.   
  
“Sorry…”  
  
“No harm done, really.” Gumlittle remarked. “Let’s just try not to do it again.” He terminated the topic there. He turned and walked down the hall, gesturing the boy to follow him. Toni did after a moment, forcing his feet to fall in heavy strides. He was afraid if he didn’t walk so firmly that he would start limping and what kind of squire limped from a stupid injury like a cut on the leg? He was stronger than that and he was intent to prove to Gumlittle that he was a strong lad! Useless but at least strong…  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Council Chambers**_  
  
It was rare for a council meeting to be called so late at night and rarer still for the said members to be silent for such long extended periods. Wooddale had called it, after careful consideration on her part. She did not want to cause undue panic and she didn’t want to cause any fear on the part of her niece but the fact remained that what she’d been told was no minor thing.  
  
“You’re certain that she described Emi, Wooddale?”  
  
“To the exact detail, Flurryfeather.”  
  
All went silent again. It was quiet for at least ten minutes before Berrybottom spoke out,  
  
“Is it possible?”  
  
No one wanted to admit it and they all denied it viciously for a long while before admitting the truth. It was quite possible, that like many seals, the magical lock that kept her confined within her mirror prison had grown weak with the passage of time. It had taken a great deal of power to seal her away, not necessarily due to the spell’s requirements but because it was a fellow gummi.  
  
Emi’s story was one full of holes and unanswered questions. For starters, Emi was old, even older than they were. Yet, she maintained her youth. They didn’t doubt that she had managed to stay ageless, even in her prison. Her story was one of sudden and unexpected changes. She had first appeared almost nine hundred years ago. It was unknown when she’d been born. All they knew was that the attacks on gummies began with small “incidents.” A quickcar gone awry, a magical concoction that caused natural disaster, suspicious illnesses…  
  
By the time the gummi-human relationships grew shaky, she had made it very clear that she wanted power and control and would not hesitate to snatch it away by any means possible.  
  
Those dead by her hand was rivaled by no other tragedy.   
  
So many knights claimed so many young gummies, so many old. She had shown no mercy in her victims, even going so far as to wipe out whole warrens. The warrens of Gummi Cove, Gummton, Berryvale wiped out completely, not a single survivor, not even remains of the buildings. The cities of Gummdone, Berrysight, Gummerrit, West Gummton, Ursan. They had been thriving, with such hope. Wiped away with nary a sign as to what she had desired or what she took. Many surmised it was some form of magic, as with each destruction, she grew stronger and wiser in strategy.  
  
Gummadoon had been fighting to isolate and imprison her as soon as it became clear that she was a threat.   
  
It had been a combination of Sir Plucki’s command and gummi magic that had sealed her away, right before the human and gummi relationships crumbled into nothing and the war had broke out. Very little caused their Gummadoon knights to cling so tightly to one another but that day, though ending in victory had drawn even their Captain into the arms of his comrades.  
  
Her threat was substantial. No, it would cause pandemonium if the cities heard of the possibility of her loosening her bonds. The mere possibility of her being able to reach across into dreams was enough to make the council sweat and wring their hands. Her threat was enough to give them nightmares but the thought that she was reaching out to one of their own and a child at that!...  
  
Tavi’s current condition was very mind-troubling as well. Little was known of Emi’s mental state but something must have gone massively wrong. No gummi had ever, either before or after her birth, shown such blatant disregard for life. Not even humans showed such callousness. They had spent a great deal of time trying to figure out her motives, trying to figure out where she’d changed from all the others.  
  
The only explanation that anyone, anywhere, could come up with was the medallion. The medallion was a tool, something that could be used for good, to keep magical abilities strong and to hone them into a grand asset. However, there was also much unknown about it, as the origin of the first medallion was shrouded in mystery. There was talk that it had been created to hone into one’s soul, one’s emotional states and motives. That was cause for alarm, as Emi seemed to be one dictated by hate. They’d known she had absorbed a medallion though no one knew how or why. She was the first of the gummies to ever do and ever since she had acquired it, her violence had grown. There was no way of knowing what kind of effect it had produced on her.  
  
Likewise, they had no way of knowing what her limits were, of whether or not she had managed to reach Tavi thorough her dreams. It was entirely possible. Likewise, it was possible, it was a imitation of the medallion, created to guide.  
  
It was also possible that it had been conjured up by the cub’s mind but none of the council believed that either.  
  
Not much was achieved in that meeting, aside from old memories of pain and fear.

* * *

  
 ** _Toni’s Room_**  
  
It hurt  
  
It burnt  
  
And it stung.  
  
It was hot!  
  
Toni sat up in bed, kicking his covers off and rolled up his pajama leg, staring at the clean bandage he'd wrapped over the wound on his leg, from the ax. What was wrong with it? He had cleaned it, he'd splashed water in it. True, it had been outside water but how dirty was that? He swallowed rain water often enough when he was playing and fell and got scrapped knees on the ground more times than he could recall.  
  
Still, it didn't ease the sharp ache that seemed to pulse from that small wound. Toni unwrapped the bandage a minute, to see if anything was rubbing it. He made a face. The cut was an odd shade, a yellow white color oozed around the cut and the pieces of the skin had yet to fuse together and form a scab like most of his wounds did. His skin and fur were raised a little bit around it and his light blue shade was a slightly darker navy around it. It burnt to the touch.  
  
Toni saw no rubbing or foreign objects in the wound however. Wounds would heal eventually right? They always had before. He just had to wait it out. Wrapping the bandage around his leg again, he pulled it extra tight, biting his lip at the tingle and cutting pain that fraught on his body. He laid down again, looking outside. It wouldn't be sunrise for a long while.   
  
Still, it seemed like it would take forever.  
  
Closing his eyes, Toni rolled onto his belly, trying to go back to sleep but the pulsing under the bandage seemed to only grow worse by the minute, never mind the hour! His fur turned slightly darker as the slight fever took hold, his body's response to the invasion of infection that had entered by that old wound. It wasn't a horrid fever but definitely one easy to notice, even by his own judgment. Though he knew not why he was sick, he knew it was a fever and he knew Gumlittle would notice it.  
  
He just hoped he wouldn't send him home for it. Maybe it was a minor one that could be treated here, away from Mother. He could scarcely move his leg without it protesting immensely. He didn't want to do any more chores, not the type she required.  
Besides, if Gumlittle knew he was sick, he would pamper him.  
  
Toni screeched at himself mentally for such a thought. How could he be focusing on such a stupid thought, on such a small and petty thought? He deserved every inch of this pain. His fault for being a stupid idiot that couldn’t even hold an ax right. He had been the one who’d aimed like a fool and sliced open his leg. Why bother Gumlittle with such a stupid pain, let alone a fever? He figured the fever was a punishment as well, and justly deserved! So, why did he keep thinking back on being sick here before?  
  
He had been sick before, just once, when he was training and Gumlittle…no, all the knights had immediately seen to it that he was as well cared for as possible. One of the other squires had volunteered to take his chores while Gumlittle had tended to his fever and seeing to it that he was not disturbed save for necessities.  
  
Toni almost welcomed this fever. He wanted to go to Gumlittle now but if he did that, they might see it as serious and take him home.  
  
He didn't want that. He just…well, he wanted…  
  
To be perfectly honest with himself, Toni wanted to crawl into Gumlittle's arms and wail his eyes out.  
  
But he could not. He mentally slapped himself. He couldn’t put Gumlittle under any more stress or trouble than he already had! Last night, like an idiot, he’d left the poor Gummadoon knight petrified for his safety because like a moron, he hadn’t thought. That was becoming common. He almost expected it of himself. After all, as Mother said, he would never amount to anything anyway so why even try?  
  
Squeezing the bandage, hoping to alleviate the pulsating pain, Toni bit his lip, clutched his stuffed fish tighter and prayed and waited for the sun.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Hall**_  
  
Toni prayed.  
  
The other boys listened intently.   
  
Cubbi didn’t leave Plucki’s side, his ears perked up.   
  
Corvi looked tired, but interested. He’d been darting back and forth since they’d woken up. He was almost acting as weird as Toni. Toni usually was much quicker and faster. It had been a surprise when no one had come to wake them up that morning. When they had all stumbled down when their bellies demanded food, the knights had called them into the sitting room, promising food as soon as Plucki’s announcement was done.  
  
None of the boys expected him to declare a rest week!  
  
Cubbi looked baffled and looked up at Plucki,“What’s that mean?”  
  
Plucki chuckled but the other boys answered “It’s the best, Cubbi!”  
  
“huh?”  
  
Martinni grinned. “No training, no studying. But we get to play all week.”  
  
Toni eyed Plucki, “Is this one of those where we have to go home?”  
  
Cubbi’s heart froze. He’d just gotten Plucki back!  
  
The Gummadoon Captain chuckled “Not this time, boys.” Oh, he saw those eyes light up and smirked. The boys knew all too well that if it wasn’t a vacation home then it could only be one other thing. It made him glad that the boys looked forward to them so much. “Blastus’ little brush with illness got us to thinking it would be nice to have a week for us to teach you boys about other things besides training. Yet no less important.”  
  
Cubbi blinked “You mean a whole week for—“  
  
Corvi smiled “It’s a whole week for our mentors to just teach us things that we either wanna know or they think we need to know.” He eyed Plucki “I’m surprised you can take the time to do that.”  
  
Plucki smirked. “We thought now would be a good time to do it. Besides, given the tense atmosphere, it would be nice to have a little breather.”  
  
Martinni wrapped his arms around Gumlittle “When do we get to start that?”  
  
“We’ll start it tomorrow afternoon.”  
  
Blastus chuckled as his squires wrapped him in a hug too. It was truly a rare treat to get to do these weeks. They were essential though. More than a week for special training, it was truly more of a week for interpersonal bonding. Not only between squires and their mentors but between the group as a whole. It was a time to learn one another’s strengths and help them to improve on their weaknesses.  
  
Cubbi beamed; he didn’t completely understand this but from the boys’ explanations it looked like he would have a chance to really show Plucki what he could do!  
  
Seeing the happy faces, the Gummadoon knights exchanged glances. They each had their own reasons for the timing on this.  
  
Plucki, it was mainly because he hoped to find a way to boost Cubbi’s confidence. The poor cub tried so hard yet was so hard on himself. Timothi’s reports on his actions while Blastus had been sick had said that much. Plucki planned to use this time to show Cubbi that he had his own strengths, as well as to improve on many things for the cub. It would be easier without having to worry about tutoring. Plucki suspected that he would have to tutor him for some time but if the lad felt he was making some headway, even a little bit, then it would make it easier.  
  
As for Blastus, his reasoning was far simpler. He’d been spared his life. Few things made his heart leap as easily as cubs did. He had seen such improvement in his squires and pages. Likewise, he’d been impressed with how well they had pulled together and cooperated when he was sick. Oh, how proud they had made him! He was not one to deny praise and rewards, especially when it was well earned!  
  
Gumlittle, well, he worried about Toni lately. He was the same in many ways but not so much in others. He was a little sullen and he thought perhaps he was down for some reason. Toni was too prideful to tell him what was wrong and Gumlittle knew that pressuring him would accomplish nothing. So, maybe, the bonding and closeness of this week would lower that stubborn cub’s walls a little bit!

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Castle_**  
  
While the sorceress had been pursuing that cub’s body, her search had been interrupted when she’d eavesdropped on the Gummadoon Council Meeting. Originally, she’d done so to see where best to hit them and how best to do it but upon conclusion of it, she’d found herself sitting still, for perhaps the first time in days.  
  
“Emi…so you’re still alive.”  
  
That name, that…creature.  
  
Lady Bane’s own blood still turned to ice at the name.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Gummadoon Sitting Room, Late Evening**_  
  
Patrol duty was hardly something many of the knights looked forward to, especially those with squires and pages. Usually, due to the extra responsibilities that training another demanded, Sir Plucki gave them the least amount of additional patrol he could but he could hardly play favorites. He and Blastus had done their duty in night time patrol previously, before this outbreak of sickness. Gumlittle had his this night, something he wanted to get out of the way before the week with his trainees. That way, it was truly a week for the boys.  
  
Thus, while the squires played in the sitting room, each doing their own thing, Gumlittle prepared himself for his night patrol, stopping in briefly to bid his squires farewell for the night. It was not something new but it was certainly something Gumlittle didn’t like, especially lately with the news of sickness aided by magic. But then, it did little good to worry about it right now, to let it intervene with their daily lives, at least not while they had so little information. It was mainly Toni that worried him, at least far more than the suspected magic. Toni was acting odd, even for his unusual personality. Even now, the usually rambunctious boy sat off on his own, away from the others, staring into the dancing flames of the fireplace.  
  
If Toni was anything, quiet and still were hardly one of them. He put up his hard face, smiling and playing when prodded but Gumlittle wasn’t a fool. However, he also knew his stubborn squire! So, he generally pushed it aside, trusting Toni to tell him when he was ready.  
  
"Boys!"  
  
Martinni turned, looking up from his toys as Plucki gave his brother a soft smile. While being Captain gave him many privileges, he was not the type to play favorites and his brothers would not have liked him to.  
  
"You're heading out now, Gummie?" Martinni inquired, standing up and rushing his mentor, wrapping his arms around his leg. The tall knight chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.  
  
"Yes, for the night."  
  
Toni's ears perked up and his eyes grew in size. "All night?" He stood from his isolation by the fire.  
  
Gumlittle nodded "I'll be back before you wake up but it's my turn to patrol the grounds."  
Toni walked over to his teacher, his heart feeling like it was constricting on itself. What would he do if something happened to Gumlittle when he was out? This was just like his dream! That monster was out there! Every time Toni closed his eyes, he saw it again, and heard Gumlittle scream. Saw him die, over and over. Dreams didn’t repeat like that, not usually. It had to be a warning. If Gumlittle went out into the woods to patrol…then…then…  
  
No, he couldn't go!  
  
"No!" Toni launched himself at Gumlittle as the knight headed for the door, tightening his grip around the gummi's leg, so tightly that Gumlittle felt a tingling in his foot a moment.  
  
"Toni!"  
  
"No, no, you can't go!"  
  
Plucki and Blastus exchanged glances and tried to offer their reassurance although it was unfamiliar territory. Usually, if anyone would protest Gumlittle's absence, it would be Martinni but he was pretty calm about it. Toni was usually the one they had to remind not to tease others.  
  
Toni on the other hand was fixated on a goal. No matter what it took, he had to keep Gumlittle here! Here with him! He would never be allowed to accompany him so it was critical that Gumlittle stayed here then! Gumlittle was his…Gumlittle was all he had! He would not lose him! He refused!  
  
"-won't be too long..."  
  
“-everyone takes turns, mon ami..."  
  
Toni wasn’t hearing all their words, only bits and pieces and even those seemed insignificant. All he was hearing was that Gumlittle was leaving. No...he was his protector. He could not go away from him. That monster would come, would take his Gummie away! No, it was lying in wait in the forest. He had to keep him here. So long as he stayed out of those woods, he would be safe! He couldn't be away from him. He could NOT let him leave!  
  
"Toni!"  
  
The cub shifted his eyes upward. Gumlittle's eyes were full of concern. "Lad, I've gone on patrol before. This isn't new. You know Blastus and Plucki will see you and Martinni off to bed."  
  
Blastus walked over, touching the cub's shoulder. "Qui, petit celui. Gumlittle can even come tell you when he comes back."  
  
"No! No, he can't go away! You can’t!" he screamed again, latching onto Gumlittle by digging his claws in so deeply that they drew small drops of blood. By now, tears, usually so absent from Toni's face in any shape, began to fall in buckets, staining his cheeks and blurring his vision.  
  
Burying his face into Gumlittle's waist, the highest he could reach, the cub screamed louder, anything to keep him here!  
  
"No! No! No! No!No! No!NO!NO!NO!NONONONONONO!"  
  
By the last "no," Toni's voice began to crack and break but he kept right on screaming, right on crying. He began to beat his tiny fists as hard as he could, saying Gumlittle had to stay that he wouldn't let him go away! That he couldn't go away and by Gum he wasn't going to leave him!  
  
"NO! NO! NO! NO!NONONONONONONONONONO!!!!" Now, with too much crying and too little air, the cub's body attempted to compensate by rejecting his stomach's contents, focusing its attention on the body's other functions. Toni choked and fell to his knees before emptying his belly right there.  
  
Gumlittle scooped the cub up, holding him close, ignoring that Toni was getting a mess all over his uniform. At the moment, he was too concerned to care, trying to think of anything to get the poor child to stop, to calm! His pleading eyes met his Captain's who, with a face whose worry mirrored his own, gave a simple nod as answer.  
  
"Toni, Toni, okay, okay, okay. Listen, Gummie's not going okay?"  
  
Toni hiccupped and looked up, his eyes wet, his face pale and his fur slick with sweat. "N-no?" Was this true? No trick, no lie? He was still safe? Gumlittle wasn’t going? The monster wouldn’t claim him? His body trembled, not wanting to believe such a thing to be true. His eyes filled again and he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. His entire body was still shaking.  
  
Plucki cut in "I'll find someone else lad, I'll go myself if need be but Gumlittle will stay with you, alright?"  
  
Toni wrapped his tiny arms around Gumlittle's neck and shaking still, his crying subsided but did not disappear. Gumlittle wrapped his arms around Toni in a tight embrace, "Shh, it's alright. Everything’s alright."  
  
It was a dream. Only a dream. This was real. He was hot and sweating and in pain just like in the dream but Gummie was holding him and telling him everything was alright. And he wasn't going anywhere. Not anywhere. Toni held on tighter, holding on to what was real and safe and so very much everything he'd ever wanted.  
  
"Come, lad. Let's have a seat and talk." Gumlittle said, breaking into Toni's asylum.  
Toni at first resisted but soon melted under the gummi knight's gentle persuasion. He forgot himself and limped the short distance to a bench out of the way, and out of earshot.  
  
"Now then," Gumlittle started, his arm still around the cub. Toni had yet to release his hold with either hands or arms. "I've been a patient bear I think. Something's bothering you. We try to let you cubs come to us when you're ready but I suspect it's a problem bigger than just one gummi can handle. So how about you tell me what's really going on? First, Toni, what's wrong with your leg?"  
  
Antonius gulped, staring into the eyes of his mentor and beloved adult. How could he have limped in front of everyone!? He wasn't just stupid and worthless. He was in for it! His mind raced for a good lie, or even a bad one, but all of them fell to bitter ash in his mouth. He couldn't speak. Like a giant baby, no good to anyone, the only thing he could think to do was cry. How he hated himself for crying on Gumlittle again. Hated himself for doing it and for loving it so much. In a brief moment, he thought the most perfect thing in the world right then was if Gumlittle would do the honors and kill him real quick and clean. Dying by Gumlittle's hands was more than he deserved.  
  
The squire beholden to Gumlittle fell asleep still crying some time later. The sight had disturbed the other cubs so Plucki called them all to join him for a game in the next room, leaving Blastus to watch over Gumlittle and Toni. No answers were available until Gumlittle gently hoisted the cub in his arms and headed for his own room.  
  
"Mon ami, what is wrong with him?"  
  
Gumlittle shook his head. "Don't know, but it's something big. I can tell. I'd like a look at his leg. It's buggin' him. I don't want to wake him though. If he's this exhausted, mentally and physically... I can feel the fever on him. Not just by feeling his forehead, Blastus. His whole body's gone hot. I'll watch him tonight and when he's up tomorrow, we'll get our answers."  
  
"That is good. It is never wise for our petite colleagues to bear heavy burdens."  
  
Gumlittle nodded.   
  
Upon reaching his room, Gumlittle settled Toni in his bed, nearly had to pry the lad's hands out of his fur, and tucked him in. Stand watch for the night, get answers in the morning. He'd been worried about Toni before. Now, the worry was growing into fear. Fear of the unknown. Could this be just the throws of troubled youth? Or something more sinister from an enemy sorceress who refused to leave gummies alone?  
  
Toni woke with a start. His leg's throbbing he was starting to get used to. That hadn't woke him. It wasn't a dream either. He felt bad. Really bad... Like he should run to the bathroom and hurl. That sour feeling fled when he realized he wasn't in his room, nor in his hidey hole or any bed he'd ever called his own. He was in Gummie's room! Gumlittle sat in a soft chair, asleep, his head slumped forward and slight snores pushing into his chest.  
  
Toni slipped from the bed cautiously, and not just because of his leg. He remembered what happened last night. Everything that happened, everything he'd done, everything he'd thought.   
  
As much as it hurts to think it, I don't deserve Gummie. I'm weak, stupid, no good for anyone. I'll poison anyone around me. What was I thinking, wishing Gummie would kill me??  
Toni looked long on Sir Gumlittle, for perhaps the last time. He'd saved Gummie once but he'd poison the knight with his useless, selfish presence. Tears in his eyes, he stealthed from the room and ran as hard as he could, jarring leg and weakened body.  
  
"Hey, Toni, what's--?"  
  
And pushing past the only gummi to see him go. A squire or page. He couldn't tell, couldn't see very well at all. The only thing he knew was that he had to hide. Forever.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Early Morning, Tavi's Room_**  
  
There was a knock. She didn't reply.  
  
Councilor Wooddale entered her niece's room, saw the child sitting on her made bed and staring at nothing. Fear seized the councilor's breath momentarily.  
  
"...Tavi?"  
  
"Didn't sleep, auntie. Couldn't. I couldn't face her again. Because we don't know, do we? We still don't know?" The cub turned her face up to her aunt, eyes red and hollow, worn windows into a tired mind and body. "But I'm so tired, Aunt Toffi. I know I can't be awake forever. I waited up for you but you never came so I never slept. I kept thinking what should I do if I start to turn into a monster like Emi? What should I do?"  
  
Councilor Wooddale sat on the bed with her niece and took her in a comforting embrace. "My child, how could you become something you fear so deeply?" She had to believe it. She had to believe it. She had to believe it with all her heart. She had to –  
Tavi pulled away slightly, not lulled by the voice of comfort she'd been seeking since the Council convened last night. "Aunt Toffi, what are you REALLY thinking?"  
  
At a loss momentarily, again, the Gummadoon councilor sat their with her mouth open to say something. Words of encouragement? Comfort? "Tavi... We don't know what to do." Words of defeat spilled from her lips. The truth, but defeat none-the-less.  
  
"I-it's okay. At least we're on the same page." Tavi managed a weak smile but her lip quivered on the start of tears.   
  
The ruckus of laughter and cajoling from the courtyard far below diverted their woes momentarily. Tavi got up and went to her bedroom window, gazing out and down. The boys -- squires and pages alike -- were all laughing and smiling and rough-housing in the central courtyard. Weird. She knew they should be training shortly. What was going on?  
  
A ruckus of another kind started up within Gummadoon's walls at that same time.   
Gumlittle's booming voice could be heard echoing down many a corridor.   
  
"Where's Toni? Has anyone seen Toni??"   
  


* * *

  
_**Gummadoon Central Courtyard**_  
  
Corvi shook his head, grinning and joining in at the infectious behavior of his fellows. Despite having so much weight and woe on his shoulders lately, this was well needed and he felt he could enjoy it a bit. So, he got the guys up a bit early -- not purposefully but how else could he explain slipping out to check on his little brothers and being caught slipping back in if not to tell them he wanted up early to get a head start on their free week? Wholeheartedly agreeing with this plan, the word spread and soon all the squires and pages were up and tearing around the courtyard in anxious anticipation of their mentors arrival for the much-needed holiday. Very needed. Now he'd have less need of excuses to slip away and be with his brothers. He sighed in relief and tackled the smaller Cubbi who was taunting Martinni. All three boys wound up in a pile, laughing and kicking.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Corridors_**  
  
Gumlittle's voice kept up calling for his squire, Toni; he was now panicked as he had never been before.  He knew Toni was hurting, he had only seen this kind of reaction, physically to an injury, before a few times from battle injuries and he knew they could become infected and if not treated, soon and the root found, could be potentially fatal.  
"Toni, come back!" Gumlittle called out, soon this brought attention from Plucki.    
  
"Gumlittle, What's wrong?" Plucki stared at Gumlittle, who was almost out of breath   
"T-T-Toni, he…he’s missing, I was watching him in my room cause he wasn’t feeling well and now he left, from the way he’s been acting I…I’m hoping he will be okay."  
  
Plucki looked at his friend and fellow Knight "You get Wooddale, she may have a spell that may help us find Toni faster; if what you are telling me is true, he could be dying soon if we don’t find him fast."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi's Room_**  
  
Tavi, looking out the window, was still wondering why she was unable to sleep at all; she thought it was because she was thinking on the secret she exposed about Cubbi, was he was still mad at her for making the magical cream disappear that he was using to hide from Plucki that he had not slept at all for a long time, or was it because she, when Sir Blastus had become ill with Cub's Fever that if it wasn't for her that Blastus could have died of his illness.    
  
Her mind would go off in so many directions was she tried to close her eyes. She heard the voices from the Medallion inside her, and still wondered if she would someday be at peace, so she could live with the piece of Gummi History inside her. She watched outside as the squires and pages were playing and wondered if Cubbi was among them; she had not seen her friend in a long time, not since the outbreak of the illness in the Gummadoon Halls.    
  
She heard that Cubbi was okay and was helping out with his squire duties when teaching and the training was suspended, but still she was wondering how he was doing. Once again, her mind started to race and she then started to flashback to when she and Cubbi met for the first time; she wasn't sure why this was happening but she was thinking it was again due to the Medallion inside her.  
  
She only hoped that someday she would learn to control its power.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Corridors_**  
  
Plucki frowned, in deep thought. He knew how cunning a cub could be and he also knew how stubborn Toni could be. He was hardly the type of cub that would ask for help. He also knew from the boy’s previous actions that he needed help, probably more than he or the other knights could give him. He and Gumlittle, as well as Blastus, knew Toni fairly well but there was still only so much they could perceive.   
  
“Gumlittle, why don’t you and I continue looking. Blastus, perhaps it is best if you go and retrieve his mother. She may have some information we don’t. We can surely figure this out together.”  
  
Blastus nodded, though he had to admit he was not overly fond of Toni’s mother. Still, given the potential danger of the situation, she as his mother, had a right to know what was going on anyway. He hoped that she had some insight that they didn’t. After all, while he had been sick, the squires and pages had gone home. She had been with Toni for a long while, so she may have some idea what was bothering his mind as of late. So, he could stomach her for some time.  
  
It wasn’t that she was a horrible person but she was a fairly isolated gummi, had been so since her husband’s death. Blastus had to admit that when Toni’s father had been around, she had been something else all together! She had been a nervous new mother as he had been a nervous new father but they had fed off of one another, figuring things out. Then, he had died and she had all but cut off all contact with her fellow gummies.  
  
Blastus headed out the door, while Plucki and Gumlittle went down the halls. As they did so, Blastus turned and called,“Mes amis!”  
  
Plucki turned as did Gumlittle and Blastus added, “Let me send in Corvi. Mon ami knows these halls better than even the architects.”  
  
Gumlittle nodded; he could take any help offered right now.  
  
Blastus darted back outside, tearing towards the small farm in Gummadoon’s city walls. He paused briefly as he passed through the courtyard, chuckling at the mess of boys wrestling in the faint light. Still a jokester at heart, he whistles through his teeth and called “Attention!”  
  
Corvi and Martinni about killed themselves jumping to their feet and Cubbi stood up as well, slamming his head on Corvi’s elbow and accidently jarring Martinni in the side. The two elder cubs yelped and glared at their younger counterpart until Blastus’ deep laughter drew their eyes. Corvi, somehow, knowing Blastus the longest, asked,“What’s up Blastus?”  
  
“Perceptive as ever, mon ami.” Blastus praised the young squire. “Young Toni is missing. I need to retrieve his mother. Perhaps you can help Plucki and Gumlittle look—“  
  
“What about us?”  
  
Blastus turned his attention to the voice. Surprisingly, it was Martinni, who was usually pretty soft spoken but now, the squire of Gumlittle was full of fire. His hands clenched and his eyes determined, he said, “We can help look!”  
  
Blastus smiled, as he saw the other squires, Cubbi and Corvi, looking just the same…all but Flynn whom was not out just yet but that didn’t surprise him. Flynn was usually the last out and he surmised that, having just been promoted from page to squire, he was feeling a bit shy. He addressed all of the boys,  
  
“We would gladly accept any help, loyal garcons.” He smiled with pride. He addressed Corvi first, “Plucki and Gumlittle will tell you where they are looking. I put these two additional sets of eyes in your care, Squire Corvi.”  
  
Corvi beamed and then smirked wider as Martinni gave a firm nod and Cubbi gave Blastus a full hearted salute. It wasn’t the right position or even the right hand but it was the spirit behind it. Corvi smiled as Blastus headed out, towards Toni’s home then turned to the younger boys whom took off with a run ahead of him, plowing inside, calling for   
  
“PLUCKI! GUMLITTLE! WHERE DO WE LOOK?!”  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane’s Castle**_  
  
This certainly complicated things.  
  
She was beginning to see another direction, namely with that dead brother of the little sorceress but the possession of Toni’s mother had certainly opened her eyes to many things. First, the gummi spirit, especially of Toni was especially fragile. Oh, how she wanted to see it crack the rest of the way. Or, as the idea had currently occurred to her, see the Gummi Mother’s spirit break when she withdrew her possession.  
  
The Gummi Knight’s arrival and ask for aid to find Toni opened too great an opportunity to ignore. So, taking on the façade of a worried mother she rushed off with him toward Gummadoon’s Castle.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Within Gummadoon’s Walls_**  
  
Toni wanted to be left alone. Forever.  
  
It was a suiting ending for him. To stay holed up here forever until he died. Of what he didn’t know nor did he care. It would be a proper ending for him. To suffer and wither away for all the trouble he had caused everyone. He would have liked a swift death, perhaps one by gumlittle’ hands but he was not worthy of it.  
  
He curled up, tightly, hidden in the old hidden room in the walls. He wanted to be alone, forever—  
  
“Toni?”  
  
“What?” he demanded, rather coldly but without bite. He didn’thave the spirit to muster up enough bite to frighten a bug.  
  
He blinked as Flynn;s head poked into view.  
  
“whatta you want, Flynn?”  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothin, you just leave me alone.”  
  
Taken aback slightly, the younger gummi crawled into the small room and planted himself at Toni’s feet. “No! Everyone’s looking for you—“  
  
“why?”  
  
“because they’re worried about you!” Flynn declared, his own heart crying. “And I am too! What’s wrong?”  
  
“I said it was nothing.”  
  
“It isn’t nothin’”  
  
“It is. Now, why don’t you go play with Blastus and them?”  
  
The squire of Blastus shook his head firmly. “Nope! I ain’t leaving until you do.”  
  
Toni growled. Standing up, he made his way out a second door. Flynn was swift though and darted through it before Toni slammed it shut. The older squire growled but he ignored Flynn and started to walk among the forgotten corridors. Flynn made up his mind right then to pursue the elder squire and _force_ him out into the open again. There had to be a lot of people looking. Maybe once they had a hold of Toni, they could figure him out. For right now, well…  
  
Flynn didn’t want to leave him alone.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Corridors_**  
  
Cubbi didn’t like her.  
  
Walking with Plucki and Toni’s mother, the others had split to look. Plucki was patient and polite and Cubbi tried to imitate his mentor by using “yes Ma’am” whenever she addressed him but it was hard. It wasn’t anything she said but rather HOW she said it. Cubbi couldn’t place it but there was a certain falseness to her. Something that reminded him of Zorlock and that scared him.  
  
Still, what was important right now was finding Toni.  
  
Focus on that.  
  


* * *

  
  
Lady Bane frowned. She could easily see where Toni was, using a view spell but figuring out how to get there once inside Gummadoon’s walls was slightly harder. She was determined however and after asking Sir Plucki a few questions, under guise of being concerned of course, she could hear slight voices inside the walls. Fingering the stone, she pressed one and as she suspected, a door opened and Toni stumbled out, followed closely by Flynn.  
  
“Antonius!”  
  
Oh, how she loved to see faces contorted in terror like that…

* * *

  
Toni’s heart froze in his chest. He froze in mid step and Flynn fell into his back as they spilled out of the wall. He could hear both Cubbi and Plucki call to him but he couldn’t focus on it. All he could focus on was his mother. She was here. Gumlittle wasn’t here. Was…was this it? Was she going to kill him? Finally put him out of her misery and his?  
  
Flynn stared at Toni completely baffled. His mother was here. Why wasn’t he happy? That was something Flynn was nervous about becoming a squire. He wouldn’t see his parents every night. He would have ambushed his mother if she showed up. And Toni didn’t have a father. Why wasn’t he happy?  
  
Cubbi was frightened but not for himself. For Toni.  
  
It wasn’t just his own feeling on Toni’s mother now he was certain. Toni’s face was frozen in a look of pure terror. Cubbi and Plucki had called to him several times but he only stared at his mother. It wasn’t a kind of stare that Cubbi knew either. Usually, he knew the stare of being in trouble and he knew the stare of being surprised. He knew the stare of regret and the stare of mischief…  
  
This was none of those.  
  
Toni’s mother took a step, “You scared us all to death Antonius!”  
  
Toni wet his pants.  
  
Cubbi smelled it and he saw it. Saw the boy’s face pale and saw him step back only for his leg to give out and for him to collapse on his backside, scooting backward on his bottom, his arms shaking. He licked his lips, started to pant. He swallowed, twice then stammered “M-m-m-Mother…”  
  
Lady Bane frowned; this was not how she planned it to happen but she judged that she would have to surrender possession soon in any event. She would need all her energy to focus on her resurrection spell. Plucki and Cubbi were looking at her already with looks of doubt and suspicion. She supposed that there was little point at trying to hide it. Rather, why not use this opportunity to drive both Toni and the gummi woman’s spirit into the dark abyss?  
  
“yes, it’s me. What are you doing? Wandering off, running off, not listening and causing everyone a headache?” She threw her arms out for emphasis and Toni covered his face, trembling. It was coming ,he was certain. The end…  
  
“And look at you now? Wetting your pants like a stupid little baby? Is that all you are, Antonius? A stupid little baby? Completely useless to anyone?” she rolled her eyes for emphasis. “A lot of damn good you’ve done anyone. Failing me, failing all these knights here, wasting their precious time with your stupid little problems!”  
  
Cubbi was stunned, shocked and angry. He had never heard anything like that, not even from humans! How could Toni’s mother be so…  
  
Cubbi ran from Plucki’s side and dropped to his knees by Toni, holding the boy tightly and faced the woman, “Hey! You don’t hafta be so mean!”  
  
Lady Bane fixed eyes with the cub turning the gummi woman’s face, her eyes burning through the gummi woman’s. She saw Cubbi’s eyes narrow, trying to focus—  
  
He had been through possession and she couldn’t risk it being revealed, not right here in any event. Later, when her task had been completed and she fled the body but not here! Later, when the two gummies, both mother and son, had been reduced to little more than shattered shells, but not here. Too many gummi magicians here…she had to distract the brat had to keep him from saying anything…  
  
And her hate for him was certainly strong enough to make this enjoyable.  
  
“You stay out of this, brat.” She grasped Cubbi by the throat and slammed him into the nearby stone wall with all her strength. Cubbi’s head erupted with pain at the contact. Ringing shot through his ears and he yelped in visible pain.He felt a faint wetness in the back of his head but not a lot, mainly small droplets. The pain was more horrible  than anything else. It felt like a branch had been taken to his head with the force of Gumlittle and Gritti Barbic combined. It caused his brain to feel like it was bubbling in hot fire.  But almost as soon as the pain started, he felt it stop as the gummi woman’s hand was yanked away.  
  
Cubbi grasped his head instantly, rubbing it to try and ease the hurt and he was faintly aware of the woman demanding “-Release me right now, Sir Plucki!”  
  
He opened his eyes, trying to clear his vision. His head hurt but he wasn’t worried about that. This woman wasn’t his mother. But she was Toni’s! How could he stand it-- His eyes focused on Toni.  
  
Toni stared, stunned.   
  
He…he had done it again! Caused someone else pain, suffering because he was a stupid worthless piece of—  
  
No more, he couldn’t let this happen anymore. No one else suffering because of his presence. Cubbi was bleeding, Flynn was crying, all because he was still here! All his fault! All his fault! All his fault! Gumlittle…his favorite gummi would only be put through more torment because he was here, making his life a misery.  
  
“N…no more.”  
  
He stood and ran down the hall. Flynn pursued him.  
  
After a moment, Cubbi ran after him as well, leaving the gummi woman screaming after him but with a completely livid Plucki restraining her.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Weapon Room_**  
  
The cub turned, regarding Flynn with empty eyes.   
  
Flynn didn’t like this. Toni had run into the secret passages and had emerged into the weapons’ room, a definite no-go. Even he knew that and he had only been a squire a few days!  
  
The small cub regarded the passage into the weapons room that Toni had taken. There were passages all over Gummadoon and Corvi had pointed this one out a long time ago. Just mainly to show the others different ways out they had if need be.   
  
Toni turned back around and looked around, ignoring his pursuer. After all, in a few minutes, they wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore. He would only be troubling Flynn and the others a little longer. He took a breath but didn’t pick a weapon, not here anyway. Rather, he started to walk down the aisles, slowly, one at a time. He never looked ahead of him, only at his sides or at the floor. Mostly, he focused on the shields which reflected his dark eyes back at him.  
  
Toni's mind regarded these images with disgust. Just a stupid, ugly, clumsy ...thing.   
Mother said it enough, Father had left when he was two. Surely, they were true! Was it true what Mother had said? That Father was alive but didn't come back because he was here? Did his own father really despise him so much? What had he done? He must have done something.  
  
The cub kept walking, things running through his head.  
  
Was there no way to make this pain stop? Not the pain in his body. He was accustomed to it now but his soul and heart never got accustomed to the pain that they felt with every word Mother said.  
  
Normally, Gumlittle's words would ease the pain but even their kindness felt empty now. Nothing dulled the pain. Mother had said he was a burden to this world. That he was unwanted, that he caused everyone he met nothing but agony.  
  
Toni paused in his onward march, regarding the spears and swords and arrows hanging from the wall. The cub unhooked one sword from the wall but found it too heavy and replaced it. He took a lance instead. The cub eyed it over, mainly the end.  
  
Sharp and shiny.  
  
The cub pondered some more things. Mother's comments and Father's absence.   
  
Her cries:  
  
Better off without you...  
  
Burden to everyone...  
  
Nothing but pain and embarrassment...  
  
Waste of air and gummi blood...  
  
...as bad as the humans who drove our ancestors away in the first place...  
  
Pitied and humored, never loved...  
  
All the things she said were running through his head. His nightmares, or were they visions of his own incompetence...running through his mind. All his faults, all his failures.  
  
The cub pricked his finger on the end and just stared at the drop of red blood that appeared underneath his fur and then dripped down his wrist to drop onto the marble floor. The cub stared for a moment, not even hearing Flynn's calls nor the cub's hands rip the lance away. Toni sat down and stared at the pricked finger a long time. He felt nothing but a strange compulsion driven by an alien presence that seemed to enhance his already strong feelings or hopelessness and worthlessness.  
  
He would be delivering them all from a useless burden after all wouldn’t he? He would be doing them all a favor. He would be freeing them all. He was not worth freedom. They all were. Truly, could he do this one thing right and free them all from the slavery his own uselessness and stupidity cast them in?  
  
The cub rose to his feet, walked past Flynn, not hearing his pleas to stop and come back with him, to talk to Gumlittle and towards the back racks where the daggers hung. Flynn called after him but Toni's eyes were focused and intent.  
  
When Flynn got no answer, he followed the cub, not sure what to think. He felt scared through.  
  
Toni studied the blade of one for a moment with a morbid look. He studied his reflection in the blade for a long moment, considering, knowing full well that it was sharp. It caused small cuts on his hands when he ran his hand along the side.  
  
"Freedom." He said softly and Flynn froze in his steps and stared. What was Toni doing…  
With a swift hand, the blade’s tip drove into Toni’s wrists, right below where the hand started and the cub ripped straight down. Blood erupted in a steady spill, like a fountain. Toni didn’t delay and cut his other arm in the same fashion, ignoring the pain that erupted through his arms as his body tried to repair the inflicted damage.  
Toni held the blade up to his neck, ready to do the final one, one he knew not even he could mess up…  
  
With a swift oof, he met the marble floor and Flynn screeched, kicked Toni’s hand hard, knocking the dagger across the floor. He met Toni's eyes a moment and cried, tears running, “Toni! What are you doing?! You’ll die! That’s a lot of blood and-“  
  
"Sorry it took me so long to do it."  
  
Then it was silence and Toni closed his eyes of his own will. Better this way, he kept saying to himself. Better this way. Gummie’ll be happier and Cubbi and Plucki and..  
  
Flynn screamed.  
  
And screamed and screamed and screamed.


	16. Chapter 16

Cubbi paused, hearing the faint yelling from the room he’d just passed. Plucki had called some kind of command and all the available knights had started to scurry, some calling for the councilors, some rushing to where Cubbi had just run and some still searching for Toni, some were looking for the other squires but Cubbi was sneaky and plowed right through them.  
  
So he heard Flynn’s cries for help and with quite a bit of effort pushed open the heavy doors. He normally would have gasped at the massive amount of weapons but now, his eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat.  
  
Flynn was sitting on the ground, holding Toni’s hands across the wrists, crying. Blood had pooled out on the ground and slid down Toni’s arms in long streams, staining the boy’s sleeves and Flynn’s hands. Flynn saw the elder cub and called to him desperately for help. Cubbi stared at the pooled blood a moment, wanting to panic.  
  
“A knight does his people best by staying calm. A knight uses what he knows to help all he can.”  
  
What did he know about this…a gummi hurting themselves? Deliberately? He didn’t know nothing about that!  
  
But…wounds? This deep…did he-  
  
Yes, he knew about this…

* * *

  
 ** _Several Months Prior, Ursalia_**  
  
“Really? You drove ‘em all out on your own, Gritti?”  
  
The big barbic chuckled at the small cub’s interest. The Glenb cub ate up anything he said. It made Gritti feel proud, not of himself but that Cubbi had such desire to listen and learn.  
  
“Yep, they ran—“  
  
“Gritti?”  
  
Gritti interrupted his own story and turned as did Cubbi when the door opened and Buddi stumbled in, clutching his left arm, which was pouring out blood. The boy was walking weird though, he had his arm raised over his head like he was being robbed or something. Gritti was at his side in a minute and pulled him to the table. The older barbic wrapped some kind of tie on Buddi’s arm and tied it tight but not so tight it completely cut off the blood flow. He tied it near the top and then started to wipe the boy’s arm, revealing a jagged wound on the lower arm. Gritti pulled off the small sack he always carried and pulled out what looked to Cubbi like small wooden needles and leather strips.  
  
“Partner, what did you do?”  
  
“Slipped and cut my arm on an arrow.”  
  
Gritti shook his head but still keeping the boy’s arm up in the arm, he started to push the needles through the skin, dragging the leather with it. It pulled the pieces of skin together. Gritti was quick. Buddi winced the entire time but he never cried and Cubbi stared. As Gritti got about two-thirds through, he pulled the tie a little looser and when he finished, he wrapped it in some kind of cloth covering and untied the boy’s arm entirely.  
  
Cubbi blinked. He didn’t know why Gritti had done that: made Buddi keep his arm up, tied his arm but he knew it had worked…  
  
He bet Buddi was gonna have a cool scar!

* * *

  
 ** _Present_**  
  
Cubbi looked around then looked at Flynn.  
  
“Pull his arms up, hold ‘em up high!”  
  
Flynn blinked but was grateful that someone was telling him what to do! He did what Cubbi said then stared at the cub ripped at his squire uniform, making small strips of cloth. The boy dropped to his knees, getting blood all over his knees then tied the ties on Toni’s arms, up around his upper arm. He pulled them tight but left them slightly loose to let some blood through. Cubbi clamped his own hands over Toni’s wrists and met Flynn’s panicked face.  
  
Truth be told, Cubbi wanted to run himself. He didn’t like the feel of Toni’s warm blood pouring down his hands but was grateful it seemed to be not so much. He wished he knew how to do those stitches like Gritti had done! He wanted to go and get Plucki or someone but…well, he couldn’t leave Toni! And Flynn would know better where to go and who to get.   
  
Besides, Flynn looked like HE would pass out.  
  
“Flynn! Go get help! I dunno who, I don’t care…just someone!”  
  
Flynn didn’t need to be told twice. He jumped up and ran, leaving the door open. Cubbi tightened his grip on Toni’s arms and screamed himself,   
  
“PLUCKI! GUMLITTLE! ANYBODY! HELP! IT’S TONI! PLEASE! HELP!”

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Corridors**_  
  
"I said release me, Sir Plucki!"  
  
The knight-captain stared in shock at the Toni's mother. He'd seen her attack on Cubbi. Never, even with his own eyes, would he have believed it possible for a gummi to harm another in such disregard, if at all. It was unconscionable. Unthinkable! Was she mad? Possessed? He was at a loss but held her firm.  
  
"Plucki...?" Gumlittle, brother in arms that he was, came upon the remnants of the scene a bit slower but none-the-less got a look at something very wrong.  
  
"Karleni is not well. She must be restrained until we can solve her condition."  
  
"What kind of condition?" Gumlittle hoped it wasn't another epidemic.  
  
"A problem of the mind. There's no time to explain now. Take her."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with me, oaf! Let me go!" Toni's mother struggled some as she was passed from Plucki to Gumlittle but was otherwise unconcerned with the two knights' presence or dialogue.  
  
"Toni?"  
  
Plucki shook his head. "He was here. Karleni..." The knight-captain suppressed a shudder. He could not even speak of such un-gummi behavior right now. "Toni ran off again. Flynn and Cubbi went after him. I know you want to be the one to get him, brother, but I need you to secure this sick gummi. Under no conditions should she be released. Hold her in the prison if you must but the Gummadoon Council needs to see her with their own eyes. I cannot make full sense of it."  
  
Nodding a shallow nod, Gumlittle tightened his grip on Karleni.  
  
Plucki raced off.   
  
Eyes following after his captain, Gumlittle was still wondering what sort of ailment was afflicting the gummi in his arms when she sagged without warning. Her legs just gave out beneath her. She let out a faint and strangled cry. She went limp.  
  
"Karleni?" Still keeping his hold, Gumlittle turned her over in his arms, picking up her smaller body. Her eyes were open but haunted and staring at nothing. Her mouth was open in a full expression of horror. He felt for a pulse, because she looked scared to death. Very much alive. An active heartbeat. This woman was in no condition to be placed in a cell. Gumlittle jogged through the corridors, the unresponsive Karleni in his arms, seeking Healer Sarrika.

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
Hmph. A bit premature to withdraw her hold on the gummi woman but enough damage was done. Quickly, the evil sorceress turned her focus on the gummi's abused son, Antonius. Just a little push...  
  
Lady Bane smirked as her spell wound its way into his mind, prodding just that extra little bit to make the cub do the unthinkable. She truly lived for these moments. True that power was delectable and magic was power of an extreme faction but to use it to toy in the affairs and lives of others, of whole nations. Intoxicating. Her smirk twisted into a greedy grin. She felt like dancing when the cub slit his wrists and as he leaned forward to finish off with his jugular vein.  
  
Her evil glee was premature when the meddling younger cub tackled Antonius and thwarted the final blow. So taken with rage, her delicately woven hold on Antonius slipped a fraction. She wanted to end it now, quickly! Too late. It took time to gain control of a person, even one weakened like Antonius, and he time for full control had passed. She must wait. Again. She HATED waiting. Damn that interfering cub!   
  
She'd been so close. Several times now she'd nearly had the lot of them. How did they keep countering her attempts to drink in their misery? Well... it didn't matter. Perhaps Mother was right. The living are NOT the way to go.  
  
Lady Bane straightened from bending in concentration over her scrying bowl. Slowly, she turned to a small corner of her spell chamber occupied by a small corpse. It hovered over ancient symbols on the floor and the ceiling, held in a kind of stasis not unlike that of the grip of death itself. However, within the seals inscribed, death was losing its decaying hold on the corpse.   
  
Lady Bane felt herself renewed at the sight of her newest project. Her head tilted slightly to one side, a light smile on her face as she examined the recreation of the corpse in her master spell. Patience. She need only wait a little more.  
  
She snarled at herself. Patience? She hated to wait. But this... This would be worth it. Calming her inner desires was hard but for this project? Worth it. Mother was right about one thing. Taking over a living creature was faster but could be easily countered. Controlling someone long dead? Let them try. There would be no way to counter her next move. It was impossible.  
  
Again, Lady Bane smirked, admiring the great potential in repairing the wreck of bones, flesh, and green fur in front of her.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon's Interior_**  
  
Tavi sighed wearily as she wandered about an empty hall. She didn't feel tired really. She should. She should be zonked out in bed, sleeping for two days straight. No. Her sigh reflected the weariness of being unable to solve any of the myriad of problems and thoughts bouncing around in her young head. Really, what she wanted was to talk more with her Aunt Toffi but she was off being Wooddale right now with the other Councillors. That was the trouble with having her only living relative be one of the city's leaders. Always busy. Especially now. Weird stuff was going on, and not just in Tavi's head. She was sure it weighed on her aunt's mind but maybe it was easier to solve Gummadoon's other weird problems and just wait on what to do about Tavi and the gummi medallions inside her and the disturbing talk of Emi.   
  
Tavi shuddered. She didn't want to sleep, either, and was glad she didn't feel tired. Right now she just wanted to feel normal and do and act normal. Maybe she should go outside and find Cubbi. He wasn't much of an inside cub like her. He was probably outside right now fighting imaginary dragons or training with the other squires or—  
  
Sir Gumlittle ran past her, in such a rush he didn't say a thing. The brush by left Tavi reeling but not from his passage. He was carrying someone in his arms. When he went by, Tavi felt... empty. No, that wasn't the right word. Not empty. What was it called when the soul hurts so bad? Despair. Great despair. It made Tavi sick. Who could be feeling that way? Was it Gumlittle or the gummi he carried?   
  
Perhaps against her better judgment, she was a gummi and wanted to make sure if she could help, she'd be available. She followed after Sir Gumlittle.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Infirmary**_  
  
Reading past healer tales and gaining insight from their stories was a pastime Healer Sarrika enjoyed in her leisure time. The problem was that the healer rarely got such leisure time to herself.  
  
As Gumlittle hurried in to the infirmary, she privately wished her sister would have stayed this time as another gifted healer for Gummadoon. The city appeared to be in need of more than one of late.  
  
"She collapsed. Sort of. She's awake I think. Just unresponsive." Gumlittle said as soon as he lay eyes on the healer. "Plucki's off looking for Toni, left me with her, said she's not to be left alone because she could be dangerous or some such. Is it just me or is Gummadoon falling apart?"  
  
Sarrika ignored his comment, motioning him to one of the beds to set Karleni upon. She saw young Tavi peeking in but set that aside, as well, and focused on her job. Yes, lately, Gummadoon was falling apart from the inside.  
  
Bare minutes into her examination, Sir Plucki rushed in, Cubbi and Flynn behind him. Blood covered a portion of each one of them. In Plucki's arms was Toni, pale and unconscious. Sarrika looked between her first patient and the second. Toni was in further danger if it were his blood. She turned away from the listless mother and focused on the son.  
  
The boy's wrists were slashed, clearly. Shocked at wounds, she covered it quickly and got down to her chosen trade, enlisting the help of those around her to fetch this or that already handy from shelves in the infirmary. While she worked to patch up the cub, she had only one other matter on her mind, which she pointedly asked Sir Plucki. "How did this happen?"  
  
Plucki sighed as he cleaned his hands of the blood that he got from trying to keep little Toni from bleeding to death. "I am not sure; something has driven him to this, if it wasn't for us, I… I’m not sure what would have happened.."  Plucki looked over at Cubbi, who now looking at the blood on his arms and hands and saw him pale a little, knowing this was the first time since the battles Cubbi had seen blood, and even then he had been under Zolock’s influence and such.  
  
Sarrika also could see Cubbi was pale, as she sews up the wide gashes on Toni's wrists.  She thought to herself she had rarely seen a suicide attempt, only a few times in her career as a healer, and this was one of the worst cases she’d seen. The gash was almost to the bone on the cub’s right arm. She only hoped the herbs she’d put in would help heal and keep it from becoming infected.  
  
Cubbi looked at Plucki, frightened, seeing what had happened to both Toni and his mother…he’d never seen someone try to take their own life, and for Cubbi it was a scary though that a friend could die.  Sarrika made sure to keep Karleni sedated until she knew what had caused all this mess.  
  
Once she had stabilized Toni, she came over to Cubbi who was trying his best not to show emotions but she could see the cub was an emotional mess, of being saddened, scared, nauseous but doing his best to be brave.  
  
Kneeling to his level, "Cubbi, I know this is a lot for a young cub to see in such a short time, you have to be brave and if you need to you can let it out, if that will help."  Sarrika knew if a cub held in too many emotions it may cause them to hurt more inside, doing more harm than good.  She looked at Plucki who came over to the two cubs to see if he could comfort them until they knew their friend Toni was stable enough.  
  
Sarrika herself did not want to believe it was a suicide attempt. Being a healer, all kinds of probabilities popped into her minds as she assessed injuries. Suicide among gummies was almost unheard of and even when it did occur, she could only recall two instances where such a thing happened: self-sacrifice when using a deadly weapon, such as Gummadoon Staff which was how poor Destini met her end and self-end when captured in battle to prevent others from being injured. She knew only two of the Gummadoon knights, in all of their history, had been forced to do such a thing, during some of those horrific battles before the Ancients made the decision it was best to flee. Plucki had been close to them both and their deaths had been deeply mourned as both a tragic loss and a demonstration of their devotion to the Gummi Way.  
  
On a child however, it had never happened…ever.  
  
For this reason, Sarrika was almost certain that what Plucki said was not how it happened. Surely, it had been an attack of some sort, perhaps some kind of magical manipulation. She refused to believe that a gummi cub, especially one not yet ten, was capable of such a horrific decision and more so than that, what could a cub Cubbi’s age possibly have to justify such a rash action?! Still…  
  
Sir Plucki was silent, watching Sarrika work and offering his hand wherever he could. He cast a side glance at his brother, Gumlittle.  
  
Oh, to see such a face was heart wrenching. Being knights, they had seen their share of horrors but they were each extremely attached to their trainees. That was what made Gummadoon so strong, the strong link between the fighting forces. Most gummi cities followed their example. However, it was not without its price as Plucki was deeply reminded.   
  
Gumlittle fell to his knees beside Toni’s bed and once Sarrika had finished her stitching, he took the cub’s small hand in his own. Being the largest gummi in Gummadoon, Toni’s tiny paw vanished in just one of his hands, never mind two. Gumlittle reached out, stroking the boy’s white hair back, something he used to do when the boy was younger and would awake with nightmares. Gumlittle’s presence was something all his squires’ found comfort in, feeling safe and protected. Plucki hoped that his presence now would help young Toni recover.  
  
Speaking of the young, he turned his attention to the two young squires who had been standing awestruck and silent for such a long time that Plucki had nearly forgotten they were there. He turned, kneeling to their level. Little Flynn…what a first week! He had been promoted to a squire and Plucki had been anxious to ease his slightly nervous mind with a gentle transition from pagehood to squirehood but it seemed that Fate had other plans. As it stood, he still did not know, entirely, what had happened. He had just been following the boy’s cries…  
  
  
 _“Plucki!”_  
  
 _The Gummadoon Captain turned a corner, seeing young Flynn slid to a stop, almost falling on his face as he tried to turn quickly and tore towards him. The alarm in his voice instantly brought up red flags on Plucki. Gummies as a species, tended to listen to one another far easier than humans did. Plucki, in particular, spouted to his knights on a routine basis the importance of listening to their trainees. That, after all, was how a strong team was formed and Plucki and had followed his own advice, taking note of all the tones the children used. He was still learning Cubbi’s but he had already figured out that Cubbi’s “doubting” tone included drooped ears. As for Flynn, he knew the boy’s panicked and frightened yell when he heard it and that was what he hearing._  
  
 _Coming around the corner to meet the boy who was still struggling to run, using his paws as extra legs, Plucki knelt down so he was level with the child. Almost instantly, Plucki’s heart grew heavy, the cub was coated in blood. Flynn’s entire tunic had turned a deep dark red and the boy’s hands were slick with the red liquid. His face looked white but Plucki had grown to know the different types of pale, as war and battles tended to teach one such things ,and this was not a pale of blood loss. Still…_  
  
 _“Flynn, are you hurt—“_  
  
 _“It’s not my blood Plucki!”The cub screeched even though the Captain was only a few feet in front of him. He grasped Plucki’s hands with his blood stained ones and started to pull. “It’s Toni’s! Toni needs help, please! Hurry!”_  
  
 _Plucki instantly was on his feet and following the smaller gummi. Toni…that was who he had feared was in trouble. After seeing his mother’s reaction…her actions towards Cubbi well, the Gummadoon captain wasn’t really sure what to expect now. Toni was small and that was a lot of blood he saw on Flynn. Stubborn as Toni might have been at times, he was still a little cub and that much blood loss worried Plucki immensely._  
  
 _Tearing around a corner, Flynn burst through into the weapons’ room, Plucki on his heels. As the Captain entered, his breath caught in his throat and his blood ran cold._  
  
 _Kneeling down on the floor was Cubbi, cradling a pale Toni in his arms._  
  
 _Blood pooled on the stone floor, Cubbi had a firm grip on the lad’s arms, holding them up and into the air but that really didn’t seem to be doing much good. At least not by Cubbi’s standards. The blood was still oozing in rivers and it was staining his own arms and tunic but as Plucki jogged over, he could see it had slowed it. Upon closer inspection, he saw the cub had created a makeshift tourniquet by typing strips around Toni’s upper arms. It was slowing it, and it might just have slowed it enough to make a difference._  
  
 _Plucki fell to his knees, his pant legs getting stained in the cub’s red blood and took the limp child from Cubbi, freeing the young squire from the responsibility. The small blue cub never moved and Plucki didn’t waste any time from there. He wanted answers but he knew it was not the time to ask. The cub was in too critical condition. Scooping the child up, in a bridal carry, careful to keep a firm grip over the wounds on his wrists, the Captain gave a sharp command, “Follow me, boys.”_  
  
 _The three some tore down the hall and Plucki called something Cubbi couldn’t understand to one of the knights that they passed. It musta been Latin or some sort because Cubbi heard Cavin use it sometimes. The knight gave a salute and tore down the halls and Cubbi heard shouting and yelling. It was all pretty overwhelming but Cubbi was determined to follow his Captain’s order to follow even if his legs did feel like jam._  
  
 _So, Cubbi turned to young Flynn who still looked like he wanted to slip into blissful unconsciousness and offered his hand. The younger cub took it gratefully, responding to his elder teammate with a nod as Cubbi pulled him to his feet. Cubbi was leading the way, keeping a firm grip on Flynn. They were both coated in blood, both of their hands were slick with the stuff but they pressed onward, jogging after the Gummadoon Captain._  
  
And that was where they were presently. Flynn looked like he was ready to cry but he was trying not to. Plucki knew that Flynn would do better if Blastus was there but at the present moment, they needed some answers. He sat on his knees, so that the boys could feel a little more at ease.  “Boys, first off, I’m very proud of you both, as is Gumlittle.” He looked up to his brother who was still holding Toni’s hand but the Gummadoon knight did raise his head and give a genuine smile to the younger bears.  
  
“Toni owes you his life, boys.”  
  
Cubbi’s head shot up, shocked, “…he’s gonna be okay, right?”  
  
Sarrika spoke up, “Luckily. He lost a lot of blood but I think he’ll recover.” She set her sights on Cubbi, “Cubbi, how did you know to tie off his arms and elevate them like that?”  
  
“Ele-what?”  
  
Sarrika chuckled and clarified “You raised his arms up. We call that elevating.”  
  
“Oh..” Cubbi rubbed his head “I..I just watched the Barbics do it when they got hurt and it seemed like it worked. I dunno why it worked but it seemed like it did.”  
  
Sarrika blinked, again dumbfounded by this child. While he seemed to drag behind in things like reading, analyzing, and scholarly knowledge, not to mention his somewhat “hick” manner of speech, he prevailed at survival skills. He was also an observer, she had already learned that. She saw him watching Plucki a lot, especially when Plucki would lead the adult knights in their own practice. Plucki had told her that Cubbi used that to his advantage as when they would do their sparring practices later, the cub already knew a great deal of his moves. It was a clever strategy.  
  
Cubbi had always been an observer, always a curious and inquisitive thing. That was something that the Gummadoon Captain had learned when the cub had just moved into their halls. That very first night he had here and there, asking questions about this, inquiring about that, wanting to know about what’s over there. Plucki had been worn out without even doing any training that day but Sarrika likewise had never seen the Captain so happy.  
  
Now, it appeared that Cubbi’s inquisitive nature had paid off. He had pursued Toni and his remembrance of his Barbic friends’ ways had without a doubt in her mind played a key factor in saving young Toni’s life. Flynn’s retrieval of Sir Plucki so quickly had been another factor. So, while she and Gumlittle had admitted that it seemed so much of Gummadoon was falling apart, it seemed that there was still a great deal of hope and life in it.   
  
Sarrika gave Cubbi another smile “Well, that was a smart call on your part, Cubbi. It slowed the bleeding down just enough.”  
  
Cubbi gave a hefty sigh at this news. He hadn’t known Toni too long but he didn’t want to see anyone else hurt. He had seen enough hurt and pain to last him a life time. The small pink cub cast a look at Toni’s mother. She was limp, silent but there was an odd feeling about her that made Cubbi’s blood run cold. Likewise, when he’d looked into her eyes, he had seen…no, he had FELT something so cold and dark and so ungummi.   
  
“Flynn was there first.” Cubbi blurted out suddenly. He had been with adults long enough to know an unspoken question when he saw it. He only knew what he had seen. Flynn had been there first and he knew what had truly happened. Cubbi had figured it out soon enough but he didn’t know wha the adults would want to know and that was answers. He would tell them all he knew but it would be easier if they ALL heard what had happened before he had charged in on the carnage.  
  
Plucki set his eyes on the smaller cub who was still looking at his feet. Plucki tilted the cub’s head up and met his eyes with a gentle look. “Flynn, I know this is all very frightening and unnerving but we need to know what happened. The more we know, the better we can help Toni when he wakes up.” Plucki was careful with his wording. He didn’t want to frighten the poor child more but he also knew not dumb down his talk, at least not more than was necessary. A calm, clear and logical address usually insured more cooperation than any other method.  
  
As for Flynn, he was still more than just a little unnerved but hearing Plucki speak so calmly and firmly instilled a sense of duty in his heart. He wanted Toni to get better and he knew enough about him to know that the way Toni had spoken in that room had not been of his own will. At least not entirely. Toni was one of the stronger of the cubs, always cracking jokes and getting into mischief. To see him crumble like he did…  
  
“T-toni ran right into the weapons room. I-I-I think he was trying to lose me but I thought it’d be a really bad idea to leave him alone so I followed him.” The cub bit his lip. “I betcha he’s gonna be mad at me.”  
  
Gumlittle smiled at the small cub and spoke up, though he never left Toni’s side. “Perhaps, Flynn at least for a while. But he was thank you for it one day. You used your instincts and sometimes that has to override good relations.”  
  
Flynn looked up at the large knight and asked, “…can you say that again? I don’t get it.”  
  
Patient as ever, Gumlittle relented. “Of course. What I mean is that in battle sometimes one knight can’t see the whole picture. The job of the others to keep one another safe. Sometimes, that might mean that our friends don’t understand us at first but in time, when they are able to see clearer, they come to appreciate what we do.”  
  
Cubbi stared, listening intently from the side. He knew that several times the adults would not tell him the whole truth, presumably to spare him or because they felt he couldn’t understand it. He knew Plucki had to have done so a few times as well so it was quite shocking to him that Gumlittle was so honest about it. Adults were weird that way. Some things they would tell and some they didn’t think you were able to comprehend.   
  
Still, Cubbi found himself oddly, reflecting on he and Tavi’s old argument, over that face cream and her telling on him. Looking back on it with the reflection he had now on what he’d been doing to his body and about what Plucki had taught him about teamwork and leaning on one another, he could now determine that he had not seen things clearly then either. Tavi had seen what he could not. Is that what Gumlittle meant? This was all very overwhelming to Cubbi but he tried to grasp the things he was being shown and taught as best he was able. He set his sights on Flynn, hoping that the boy could give them even more answers than what they already had.   
  
Flynn seemed to take this to heart and looked genuinely relieved so he went on.  
  
“Toni was talking to himself and he was saying stuff like ‘not worth it’ ‘just a burden’ and ‘waste of gummi blood.” Flynn looked deeply distressed as was the majority of the room.   
  
Gumlittle shifted his eyes down to the small blue cub that slept deeply. Stroking the boy’s white hair away from his face, he was left in a great sense of dismay. Toni was a good child. He tended to be a bit wild, a bit unruly and at times faintly defiant but no more than any child could be at times. What would drive such…such…horrible…thoughts into his mind. Low self esteem was  uncommon but it was also not unheard of. It happened upon occasion but once it was discovered, the entire clan would rally together to eradicate such thoughts. Toni was an odd case though! He had always been Gumlittle’s little smart aleck, his little fighter. If anything, Gumlittle found himself often having to keep Toni’s ego in check. He was usually proud of his accomplishments and Gumlittle and the others always tried to encourage them. Strong belief in one’s self would lead to strong fighters.   
  
But thoughts this intense were not normal and they were not gummi!  
  
Especially given Toni’s age; he was only a small cub, not even ten yet.  
  
Flynn was not yet done with his tale yet though.  The cub’s voice shook and his tiny fists balled up. It looked like he was ready to break down into tears at any moment. “Th-then Toni took up one of the daggers and he cut his wrists! Just jabbed it in and tore it open. An-an-and blood was going everywhere but he didn’t cry or nothing. Th-then he put it up to his neck and I…I just snapped and knocked him down and the blade went spinning and Toni started talkin’ about how he was sorry it took him so lon—“ Flynn broke down, crying. Plucki pulled the cub into his arms, gently.   
  
“Shh, now, lad. That’s enough.”  
  
Cubbi watched this, silently. Plucki was so good with kids, Cubbi had already figured that out. On the one hand, he could have the sternness of Gruffi’s voice and then some but at other times, like this, he reminded Cubbi more of Grammi, holding and stroking Flynn’s hair back and letting him cry into his chest. Cubbi remembered how Plucki had looked at him when he had come in from that nightmare. It was remarkably like he looked now. His eyes were soft and he wasn’t talking. He didn’t push Flynn anymore, just tried to still his fears. Cubbi didn’t know his own father but he wondered, briefly, if Plucki acted this way when he’d had Aldi around. Is that how he got so good with cubs? Cubbi had seen little of the other knights but they seemed good with children as well. It was like their entire lives had been devoted to the younger generation. He’d seen Gumlittle calm Toni the night before; he’d seen Blastus spend time with Corvi, working on some kind of lessons that Cubbi had yet to grasp. Cubbi’s grasp of the life that Gummadoon led was very limited yet though.   
  
He had grown up with his clan members and they constantly supported one another but their lives were built upon survival, upon keeping their ways intact, at least until recently. By most Gummadoonian standards, one would call him a country boy because that was the kind of life he knew: survival of the clan, then the fun things such as play and hobbies. Being thrust into this world where cubs could be tended to much more readily due to the threat of survival not being as intense was a little mind boggling.   
  
But the overall ideal was the same: clan members were essential and to be defended and protected at all costs which was why this situation threw everyone off.   
  
Toni’s mother.   
  
Cubbi eyed the still woman off on the other bed with more than just a little distrust. He was not a wizard by any means but those possessed do not soon forget the signs and the pin kcub was certain in the small amount of time that he had interacted with the elder that he knew the darkness that had gazed out through those eyes. The cub shook his head; now was not the right time. Once they had gotten things straightened out then he would talk to Plucki but he knew enough that if he mentioned that now, that Flynmn would probably panic. Cubbi honestly didn’t want to talk about it much anyway and if he could do it with as little people as possible, then the better. Besides, now, they needed to focus on Toni.  
  
“I ran in right after Flynn cause I heard him screaming.” Cubbi started up. He was determined not to break down like Flynn had but he was shaking inwardly. The mere thought that a simple possession could drive Toni to do THAT…well, Cubbi didn’t like thinking about what had almost happened when he possessed. Maybe that was why he put up with Tavi even when she annoyed him to death by her spontaneous hugs. He didn’t want to remember how he had almost killed her. It hadn’t been him but then…it had been. He had fought Zorlock’s influence off. But the thought entered his mind now that…well, what if he hadn’t been able to. Had Zorlock LET him fight him off? Toni wasn’t even possessed himself…and yet this had come of it. The thought of anyone having this kind of influence over someone’s actions and thoughts made Cubbi shake. The thought that that person might be the sorceress he thought it was…  
  
“Well, when I got in there, Flynn was holding to his wrists really tight.” He trembled. He had never wanted to even imagine that Toni had done the injuries himself though he suspected some part of him had always known that. Still, he wouldn’t believe it, even hearing it and even seeing it! It was so ungummi. Even knowing that which the others didn’t, that Toni’s mother was not herself, he didn’t want to believe it…He didn’t want to think about it and he didn’t want to remember what Toni had looked like. He hated the sight of blood, more so now than ever before. He never had been real fond of it, mainly because pain usually came along with it and he didn’t like pain (who honestly did?) but also with the blood came the reminder of the war…  
  
No, he was drifting! Focus, he scolded himself.  
  
Cubbi rubbed his head “So, I tol’ Flynn to go get help.” He bit his lip “I tried to get the bleeding to stop but they wouldn’t so…so I tore my clothes and made those little strips.” He motioned to the strips Sarrika had taken off.  
  
Gumlittle nodded and stroked Toni’s head again “You both did well.”   
  
Plucki nodded and pulled away from Flynn a little “Indeed. I’m quite proud of you both.”  
  
Cubbi normally would have beamed at the praise but it hardly seemed appropriate right now. So he just nodded and sat down by the bed, watching Toni silently.  
  
Flynn wiped at his eyes, ready to ask Plucki when Toni would wake up when-  
  
“Mon ami, what’s going on?”  
  
Blastus had finally made his way up, no doubt having heard bits and pieces from the guards and knights he had passed. Flynn broke from Plucki and rushed at his mentor. Blastus knelt to his knees and held Flynn tightly, taking note of the blood decorating Flynn’s clothes, realizing with relief after a moment that it was not Flynn’s. He set his eyes on Plucki, then Gumlittle, Sarrika then finally back to Plucki.  
  
“What in Gum’s name happened?”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Castle_**  
  
The dark sorceress barely suppressed her laugh as she observed the foolish gummies, babbling back and forth in their infirmary which held the limp form of that infernal cub. He would live, she knew that much.  Unfortunately, her attack and control had slipped too far to end the boy’s existence as she had wanted.  That in itself was infuriating. She had been so close; the boy’s wrists would hold scars for years. It was yet to be seen how well Sarrika could repair wrists almost sliced clean down to the bone.   
  
The cub’s spirit though…THAT would be another matter entirely.  He was a broken spirit beforehand. What remained of his will would be an enticing discovery! Seeing that huge male knight, brought down to his knees by a tiny child was only the start of what she felt would be the pinnacle point of her plan: break then destroy. Death was, by all counts, not the harshest end to be met.  
  
That was perhaps where she and Igthorn varied, besides their obvious differences in their intelligence. While he had potential, he was often too soft, stopped where he should have continued. Igthorn was so young…she herself had been around when the gummi ancients had fled. It was where she had first learned a great deal of her magic. She had sat by and watched her mother work with Zorlock, though Mother was most certainly the commander of that duo, learning a great deal by their interactions.   
  
That was where Zorlock’s troubles had begun. His fascination with her mother. Mother was not something to be trifled with it. Lady Bane had been scarcely six when Mother had slaughtered Father for no longer being of any use to her. She herself had been beyond any connection to anyone by that point. That, in her mind, was what made gummies so weak!   
  
“Look at them,” she said aloud to herself. “A grand knight reduced to a mess of tears on his knees because of a stupid child!” Here, she scoffed and she scoffed without remorse. “Stupid fools. These bonds among yourselves only makes you far easier to conquer.”  
  
Mother had shown her that.  
  
Mother had learned early that Zorlock had a deep fascination with her.  Much as she had in their short partnership during the war, things that Mother had yet to unearth. He was useful.  
  
Zorlock’s terms had been foolishly different. He was astounded by Mother’s beauty. That was truly the purpose that he came around so often. She had been around off and on so much that she didn’t doubt he hadn’t even recognized her when she had summoned him back from beyond.  Oh, he would have known Mother.  
  
Mother knew no limits. She wanted to know the magical secret abound in Zorlock’s family and she used anything and everything to achieve it. Mother gave Zorlock praise; Mother gave Zorlock resources. In their later years, she’d given him sex, wine and gold. It was like plucking the strings of a harp.  
  
Zorlock in return had shared with her the secret of her sorcerer family: the spell of possession. Zorlock’s father had been what they called a “white magician” in that he used his magic to better those with whom he was partnered.  His wife had been a priestess and the two of them had offered their services to drive away demons from villages and especially from the wealthy. Back then, it had been tribes, far before the monarchies had become firmly established.   
  
Mother was even older than them but she had shared the secret of long life when she’d first met Zorlock,  all those centuries ago, as a peace offering of sorts. As a result, Zorlock, in an attempt to win Father and Mother’s approval, had granted them extended life and youth. Father was strict after all…  
  
It had backfired immensely.   
  
Zorlock’s father had accused his son of being allied with the devil. Zorlock’s mother had collapsed in tears, saying her son had damned his soul to eternal Hell. Zorlock had fought back, insisting that he would do well by them. He came to see Mother more, trying to learn more and Mother had fed his knowledge in pieces.   
  
The partnership lasted at least two thousand years.   
  
Zorlock had gone to see his father years later, claiming that there had to be a way to win back his approval. He had promised.   
  
The attempt had failed and Zorlock’s father had cut off any attachment to his son, casting him out of the family. Zorlock had come back to mother and the two had remained as partners for quite some time. In fact, it was the Ancient Gummies that caused their break up. Zorlock was the one who had determined to wipe out the gummi kind so that their magic was accessible. Zorlock, along with Mother, had created Fire Plague but it was Mother who had urged him to unleash it on Aldi and Illsi, to test both its effectiveness and what it would do. The gummies’ stupid bonds to one another had been a subject of great mystery to her.   
  
When the gummies had cornered her and Zorlock, Mother had abandoned her partner and escaped for several more months.  
  
Lady Bane shook her head, that wasn’t important right now. The point was that she meant to use what she had learned from watching the two to crumble her enemies. Mother and Zorlock had both known that possession made for a difficult way to counterattack. Mother had shown her that the bonds between gummies could be both crumbling and encouraging. But Lady Bane also knew from seeing the look on Zorlock’s face when Mother abandoned him that too much abandonment, or in this case, too much of an emotional attack was more effective. The gummies were still recovering from the war so now was the perfect time to strike.   
  
That little female sorceress would be her next target. She eyed the form, limp and decaying in the corner and was pleased that it was nearly complete. It was a difficult spell and quite draining. As it was, she had not been sure that she would have able to obtain the body but surprisingly, with the panic over Cub’s Fever and the knights planning a small break for their boys, it had been fairly simple: She rose and walked to some of her old spell books. She had to keep the gummies distracted for the moment. Storm spells were easy to create. She needed one that would keep them inside. Perhaps not kill them although she wouldn't be sorry if it did. Just one with enough gall to keep them away from her target.  
  
With a wave of her hand and the mutter of ancient tongues, winds, hail and rain began to pound Gummadoon and Dunwyn alike. It would keep the knights inside and the squires from spying reach.  
  
She conjured a simple teleportation spell and was gone.  
  


* * *

  
  
Reappearing beside numerous graves, she walked along them, scoffing with each step. She despised being among dirt and mud and she had to be swift to avoid being caught in her own storm.  
  
Each name on the graves she repeated until she reached the one she wanted, one decorated brightly with flowers and notes from family. She rolled her eyes at the sentimentality. The grave of that little girl's brother.  
  
With a sweep of her hand, she exploded the ground into wood, dirt and mud before lifting up the partially decomposed body she had sought. The fur and skin had shrunk and started to rot and the very process of lifting it made her wince but it was for the good of her spell. With a second utterance of her teleportation spell, the sorceress vanished away, leaving behind an empty grave and upturned stones.  
  
Tossing the corpse at the floor of her hall, she made a face, but swiftly sought to remedy it. Resurrection was difficult and strength sapping but she had her plan and was determined to go with it.  
  
"<Open wide the Gates of the After life. Return to this land, with body and soul, the essence of Lucki Gummi!>"   
  
Lady Bane eyed that limp form. The flush was slowly beginning to return to the cheeks. Before too long, the rest would reunite and she need only eliminate the cub’s soul to have in her possession a fighter that would be able to shatter the soul of that up and coming little magician.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Gummadoon Infirmary**_  
  
Cubbi splashed water on his hands as he got the last of the blood from his fur. Gumlittle and Plucki were catching Blastus up to date as they waited for Toni to recover enough to wake up. Cubbi hadn’t said much. He was thinking over a lot of things. Yes, he wanted to talk about Toni’s mom and yes, he was glad Toni would be okay but there were also other things on his mind. Now, that the immediate danger had passed, he was free to look over the little details that were prodding his brain.  
  
He knew that entering the weapons room would be excused in this case.   
  
Why was he even worrying about this?  
  
He shook his head. Plucki would understand.  
  
Still, the nagging sense of forthcoming trouble was still preying on his mind and he never liked that feeling. He had learned that certain things were excused in cases of danger and mayhem but some were merely pushed aside for later. He still knew so little about Plucki and despite the Captain’s praise, he found himself worrying, especially since he himself took such great pride in-  
  
“Lad, do you need any help?”  
  
Cubbi froze and responded, too quickly “No!”  
  
Unfortunately, that just made Plucki come in.  
  
Unlike Cubbi, the Gummadoon Captain could see full well that the cub was still in shock, probably feeling overwhelmed. He was figety, he was tense and he would eye the adults like one would eye a hungry animal, as if expecting an attack. Plucki suspected the cub was still frightened. Perhaps seeing such an act, even the aftermath of one, had placed the child in a sense of shock, possibly a sense of guilt over not arriving in time, but as he had learned about Cubbi, the small child liked to hide such things inside until they exploded. This was not a good technique and Plucki had come in here, determined to fix it. In some cases, this could be overlooked but given the stress as of late, he worried about the cub making himself sick.  
  
“Are you alright lad?”  
  
“I’m fine!” he answered, again too quickly. He wasn’t looking at Plucki.  
  
The Captain sat on his knees and tilted Cubbi’s head up.  
  
Forced to look him in the eye, the cub stared, muttered a bit then said: “Sorry I tore my uniform up Plucki.”

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Armory_**  
  
"That's alright, lad." He cocked his head at the cub. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
"Um... Investigating the scene?" He offered a slight smile, hoping it would fool Plucki. Sure, the scene earlier had boggled even the adults. No gummi hurt themselves senselessly. It made no sense! But Cubbi also knew it was a lie. He wanted a weapon -- a real weapon -- to practice with in his room; to arm himself against the assault he knew would be coming. He didn't wanna tell Plucki yet. Plucki would want to know details and Cubbi wasn't prepared for that yet. He'd wanna know how Cubbi could tell that Toni's mom was possessed, like he himself had been. It made Cubbi's skin crawl just thinking about it. He could not suppress a shudder at the thought.  
  
"It's alright. You and Flynn have had a tough morning. Come along. We'll keep this room locked until the Council sees the scene."  
  
Cubbi sighed. "Ookay..."  
  
Well, if he couldn't have a weapon, at the very least he'd tell Tavi. She knew about possession and had fought Lady Bane alongside him and even took two gummi medallions into her body to stop the evil witch. If nothing else, he felt she should be warned first cuz Lady Bane seemed to be attacking cubs now. Tavi had to be warned!  
  
"Um, I better go start some chores. I'll be back later to see how Toni's doing, 'kay, Plucki?" With a false cheerful wave, Cubbi raced off.  
  
Plucki sighed and shook his head, then locked the Gummadoon Armory. The cub was behaving a little oddly but he had to call the Council together and let them know that all was still not well inside Gummadoon's walls.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Halls of Gummadoon**_  
  
Tavi wasn't in her room. She wasn't in the kitchen or the courtyard or anywhere else like that. Where would a gummi girl be right now? The bathrooms? As Cubbi was shrugging to himself, he was startled by a tapping on his shoulder.  
  
"Looking for me?"  
  
He whirled about. Tavi's pink face greeted him, but not with a smile. She looked as worried as he felt. Hey, did that streak of gold in her hair get longer?  
  
"I snuck over to the infirmary. Toni looked really bad when you brought him in. Gumlittle and the other knights are real worried but not just because of Toni. It's because of what happened, and how it happened. I think I know why."  
  
"Lady Bane possessed Toni's mother. That's what pushed Toni over the edge." Cubbi finished for her.  
  
Tavi blinked at him. "You saw it, too?"  
  
"I dunno what you mean by saw it but I saw the signs, sure. Hard to miss when you've been possessed before." His eyes went to the ground and he tried to erase the memory for now with the thick cobblestones of the castle floor. He took a breath, let it out. "Tavi, we gotta tell the Council what we know but I had to warn you first. If Lady Bane is possessing people again..."  
  
"Then no one's safe. Oh, Cubbi..." Fighting tears, Tavi threw her arms around Cubbi.  
  
Normally, he hated her hugs but right now it felt good to have someone not only know what he knew but to be able to give her this small comfort cuz, boy, did he need it, too! Maybe her hugs weren't so bad after all, when the time was right.  
  
"It gets worse." Tavi held him tighter. "I've been having nightmares. Really bad ones, Cubbi, where I lose control. She keeps trying to get me to use my powers for things I don't want to."  
  
"Lady Bane's in your dreams?"  
  
"No, Cubbi. Someone much worse." Fear shook Tavi. Her voice turned to a whisper, warm in his ear. "Emi."  
  
"Emi?" Cubbi frowned, deep in thought.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Infirmary**_  
  
Sarrika explained what she had heard to the assembled Council. They'd come to see Toni, resting as comfortably as one could in his condition, and also Karleni, his mother. There was no trace of the evil influence they suspected had caused both Toni's injuries and the wild behavior of his mother. No trace that they could determine, at any rate.  
  
"We are certain it was possession. Her mind is not calm, but not maddened as you described her."  
  
"Why does she lay there and not hear us, Councilor Wooddale?" Gumlittle asked.  
  
"Trauma I would suspect." answered Councilor Berribottom. "It happens sometimes after possession. Such horrible things we've all seen lately. We gummies are not suited to such harsh things."  
  
Steely resolve covered the faces of the knight-captain and his two brothers. "That may be so but that is the whole reason why we train as we do. To keep such evils at bay. Lady Bane can infiltrate our very walls without stepping foot inside. How can we counter against that?"  
  
Councilor Spinwillow sighed. "We can attempt to lock her out but I'm afraid we must call on Tavi again. We don't want to say this too much, so please keep it in strict confidence, Sir Plucki. Tavi, having absorbed two gummi medallions, is both much more powerful and more unstable than the whole of the Council, due to the erratic nature of unleashed medallion power and the fact that she is so young. We may not be able to keep Lady Bane out without her, but we are uncertain what will happen to Tavi if we continue to utilize her powers along with our own." Spinwillow's voice dropped to a grave whisper, forcing Blastus and Gumlittle to come near and close in the group from outside ears. "We fear... we fear there are rumors of the return of Emi."  
  
Gasps circled the Councilmembers.  
  
"Great Gum!"  
  
"Mon dieu!"  
  
Plucki stared at them, unable to add his own exclamation. He swallowed hard. "And... how did you come to these rumors?" Little entered Gummadoon that he did not hear of.  
  
"Little Tavi has dreamed of her, Sir Plucki." Spinwillow replied.  
  
"No. You can't risk it." Gumlittle said to the Council. "Tavi can't use her magic if it's attracting that ... that evil."  
  
"Lady Bane may have had this in mind from the start. We simply don't know!" worried Wooddale.  
  
"There is no way to find out the witch's plans? Without Tavi?" asked Plucki.  
  
Five heads shook their defeat.   
  
Berribottom added, "Our magic was never meant for spying. It's based on life and happiness and creation. Lady Bane has twisted magic to do the dark and evil. It is an advantage she has on us. She has no scruples."  
  
"Is there NOTHING we can do but sit and wait for these evils to attack us?" demanded the Gummadoon Knight-Captain.  
  
Again, a shake of heads.  
  
Wooddale paused, turned to Berribottom. "Winsli? Might we use Karleni, if she were aware and willing?"  
  
"It won't work. She's much too traumatized." They gazed down on the poor gummi woman, awake but not aware, or at least unable to let others know she heard them.  
  
"Well, at least let us try and help her recover from the mental trauma. Perhaps then we can get a better understanding and regroup." Wooddale said.  
  
The rest of the Council nodded.   
  
Plucki and his knight-brothers left. He told them, "There MUST be more that can be done to prepare. We'll assemble the squires and lay on the training. They must be prepared."  
  
Gumlittle grasped his shoulder to halt him from barreling down the hallway. "Plucki... They've been through so much already. Let the Gummadoon Council do their work. We can prepare. Let the cubs have a rest. That's too much on their shoulders. I know that look in your eye. It's rare but you're not immune to fear. You got good reason to be afraid, brother. But the cubs don't need it. And they don't need to see us afraid or they'll get curious and poke around until they find out the reason on their own."  
  
"Mon ami, he is right." Blastus also added his hand, to Plucki's other shoulder. "It is time the little ones had a rest. We can do little until the Council knows what will be done next."  
  
Plucki sighed, not admitting to his brothers that they were right. He was afraid. Ever since he was a cub, the name had sent chills down the spine of anyone in the know. Emi Gummi was an evil force to be reckoned with and like no other any other gummi had ever seen. Gum help them if she could return from beyond.

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
At last, the resurrection spell was done. The evil sorceress grinned in triumphant glee at the refinished body of Lucki Gummi. Now... Now she would have her fun, and her revenge. With a swipe of her hand, she magically removed the living soul from the still body. Oh, how it struggled. All in vain. Her magical grasp was sure, tight, unbreakable. She spoke the words to banish the soul for good, to leave the body the puppetary husk she needed to carry out her sadistic plans.   
  
It surprised her greatly to still feel the soul wriggling in her grasp. She said the words again, louder and with more feeling, and kept her eyes open. Again, there was no effect! Snarling, she yelled the incantation and focused all her will upon the act. The soul of Lucki faded briefly but returned into her grasp again, like some sticky candy that she could not be rid of! Bah!   
  
Lady Bane screamed and flipped through her spellbook with one hand. It worked fine on human souls. Gummi souls weren't that different. Why wouldn't it work!?  
  
Finally, at a loss, she resorted to caging the soul in a magic bubble so that it could not be heard on any level and it could not escape. It would have to do until she found some means of eradicating it.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon**_  
  
 Cubbi was desperately trying not to let this get to him but he knew if Emi returned, it would be the death of him and even Tavi. He looked at Tavi; he knew if Emi was returning the both of them were now in grave danger.   
  
"Tavi, w..w..what can we do to stop this?" Cubbi said, trying not to sound scared but his voice did show a little tiny bit of fear. Cubbi didn't like to show his emotions of fear when he was out and about in Gummadoon; he tended to save those emotions for when he was alone in his own room.  Even when he was in Gummi Glen, he would hide these as best as he could for a young gummi, although there were times that the others could see the fear if he really got scared.  This was true when he’d seen the ghost of the Gummi Knight that he helped with his last mission so that the older Knight spirit could now rest in peace.  Cubbi gulped wondering if when the battle occurred that cost a lot of the life, that one of the others had reawakened the knight, when he was possessed by Zorlock.  
  
"Tavi, are… are you scared Emi could return or…” he swallowed hard here, “Worse Zorlock?"    
  
Tavi did not want to panic Cubbi as she could see the look of concern he had for not only himself but her and also the others. Tavi grabbed Cubbi by the arm and lead him toward a tunnel.  Cubbi wasn't sure what she was up to but felt it was in the best to let her lead to see what plan she may have to keep all of Gummadoon and maybe the rest of Dunwyn safe from Lady Bane and also, if it was true, Emi and Zorlock. "Emi is worse than Zorlock, Cubbi. Much worse."  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Infirmary_**  
  
Toni, currently unconscious, even in this was still murmuring and slightly moving, apparently still very much under the spell that nearly took him to suicide state.  Sarrika kept close to the bedside with the cub, not wanting him to move too much till his injuries had healed more.  She figured that if he was to move about in this state he could break the stitches she put into his wrists, and with as much blood as he lost, this could spell more blood loss and with more loss could spell the death for Toni.  
  
She was still wondering what caused this young squire…what magic would cause him to want to take his own life at such an early age…why would he do such a thing? She worried that this may not be an isolated case, and she wondered of the Cubs’ Fever that affected a lot of the cubs in Gumadoon would soon cause a pandemic of great proportions of cubs taking their lives.  
  
She turned the small cub’s wrists over, checking the stitching. It was still holding firm but it would be a few days before she could tell if it was healing correctly. As it looked now however, she didn’t foresee any problems. The boy would wake up before too long. The herbs were simply to keep him under long enough for her to ensure everything was patched up as well as could be expected. Now, all that was left to do was wait. What the boy’s mental state would be upon awakening was something she had to consider but in all honesty, she feared the worst. Fear however, especially given their current state of events, was not something she wished to dwell on. Instead, she devoted herself to hoping for the best.  
  
To divert her attention, she focused on the still form of Toni’s mother. There was still no change. She checked the woman’s vitals and paled slightly. The woman’s heart still beat so quickly and erratically. It was difficult to force herbs into one who would not respond. However, she must do the best she could because such a high heart rhythm was the first sign of failure. If the pulse continued as it was, her system would burn out before two nights had passed.   
  
Taking some herbs from her cabinets, she started to slowly grind them together, adding some water to make it more liquefied. Force feeding was something she did not do often but being a healer, she had done. It was easier with children actually than adults but in this case, she had little choice. She would have loved to have an additional healer with her to make the process all the more easier but it was not an option. Once again, she wished her sister had remained behind to aid her.   
  
“Karleni..” She spoke softly, again, hoping that she could break through the poor gummi woman’s catatonic state. She hoped to get some kind of reply but as before, all the gummi woman did was stare blankly ahead, mouth slightly ajar, breathing deeply and heavily. She took the woman’s jaw and slowly opened it slightly more, easing her liquid concoction down her throat, rubbing her throat to make it contract and push the medication down her system. It was labor intensive and emotionally draining but it was also vital. She worked for almost a half hour before she calculated enough had been administered.   
  
Sitting back, she pushed the sweat off her forehead. She gazed over at Toni and walked over, feeling his forehead. It was still hot. His body still battled a savage fever. He didn’t have the symptoms of Cubs’ fever thank Gum. However, the presence of a fever was always alarming since gummies as a race got ill very rarely. In a young cub, it was even more alarming. So, she started to sort through her probable causes.  
  
She had ruled out any common illnesses as well as some of the rarer ones. His flushed body and fever indicated infection of some sort and she had ruled out the wounds on his wrists. She had cleaned them thoroughly and if he had used a blade in the weapons’ room as the cubs had said, then there was no fear of that. The weapons were constantly kept sterile by the Gummadoon knights.   
  
Wait…she remembered Gumlittle telling her briefly that Toni’s leg had been bothering him. She turned to the small child and slowly started to undress him. She, again, wished for another acting healer, preferably a male one. Even though Toni was unconscious, she felt a twinge of embarrassment for him and whispered her apology to him, all the while reminding him that she was a medic and she needed to check him over. Truth be told, being unclothed or at least minimally clothed would help that fierce fever.   
  
Removing the boy’s slacks and shirt, she started to look him over, seeking out any possible source for his infection. It didn’t take her long to find the wrapped leg. She unwrapped it slowly and winced visibly.   
  
The large cut was oozing puss and had turned the skin around it to a dark color, the pulsing hot of infection. She took out some of her disinfectant and started to wipe it down. The skin protested and screamed at the invasion of the antiseptic. It looked like she would need to drain it a bit but she wanted to clean as much of it as she could with the herbal sterilizer as she could first. That would reduce how much she would have to drain it, hopefully, by killing what it could on the surface.  
  
She finally put down her bottle and wipe and came back with a small scalpel in hand. Cutting as gently as she could, she started to push and squeeze out the infection. The puss came out for what seemed like hours. She would press then clean, press and clean. It took forever but when she finally saw blood and no more puss, she pressured a little longer just be sure. She cleansed it and looked it over. It didn’t look like it would need stitches but she did them anyway. No chance risking it. Last thing she needed was it to develop a second infection. As it was, she would need the boy on some herbs for a few days to drive the infection from his blood.  
  
She took a seat by the boy’s side.  
  
Those herbal remedies could wait until he awoke. And judging by the boy’s louder and longer moans, she would not need to wait long.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon, Sir Plucki’s Office**_  
  
Plucki chose his office specifically because none of the boys liked to come within ten feet of it. He didn’t know why. Somehow or another no doubt, the rumor had spread he held some kind of horrific punishment to be dealt out to the wrong doer within the oak doors. That could not be further from the truth. Plucki would have welcomed cubs into this room but as they didn’t dare, he made use of it and used it to meet with his two brothers.

Thus far, little had been achieved.   
  
The honest fact was that as well trained as Gummadoon Knights were, and these three were the best of the best, they could not attack something without a physical form. They could not defend against a threat that had yet to present itself. None of them needed reminders of Emi. All three of them had been involved in capturing her the first time. In fact, they had been the sole survivors of the attack to contain her. Plucki had led a team of fifty gummi knights and they three had been the sole knights who emerged with their lives.   
  
There was still so much they didn’t understand about Emi and all three knew that such a fact was not strength.   
  
They needed more information.  
  
They had obtained all the information they could on Zorlock, on the Aerials and all their other old enemies. The knowledge had told them how to attack, how told them of weaknesses. As it currently was, Emi had no weaknesses but they did not know anything of her. They knew she had originated from one of the warrens a while ago. They knew she had ravaged many a warren, torn them to pieces. They knew everywhere she went; she obtained knowledge and more magical ability. They knew more gummi blood had been spilled by her than by the Gummi Human Wars.  
  
They knew she showed not speck of regret.  
  
But mostly, they knew when they had gotten lucky and last time, they had gotten lucky.   
Capturing her had been luck and skill but without the luck, it would not have happened. If Emi was appearing the young Tavi as the small magical apprentice reported then there had been no change of her heart. But it seemed her intelligence had had time to improve, to strategize. Every minute that passed gave her the advantage.  
  
“We need to find out more about her.” Gumlittle reported simply.  
  
Plucki nodded “Agreed.”  
  
Blastus interrupted. “Mais…when we captured her, the Council received stacks of information from her home and those who had met up with her. Remember?”  
  
Gumlittle nodded “I do, it was the later dated journals that sealed her fate.” He shook his head. “The little they translated for her trial strengthened the case.”  
  
Plucki nodded, his mind trying to block out that horrific day from his thoughts. “They didn’t need to translate much. Her actions in the trial sealed it more than anything else.” At this, he shook his head. She had tried, almost succeeded, in killing Lumina, the one member from what would be Gummi Glen, that had come to ensure justice was served. Through magical and physical interference, she had been spared. It had been she who had volunteered the chamber and means to lock Emi away.  
  
“The Council took the manuscripts on her and hid them away.”  
  
“Do they recall where?”  
  
“I doubt it.” Plucki mused. “It was Destini who hid them and she never spoke of it again.” He frowned “I think they would prefer to forget it.”  
  
Gumlittle nodded “I can understand that reasoning.”  
  
Silence surrounded the brothers again. Plucki sat at his desk, tapping his fingers together. The three brothers really had reached an impasse. They all agreed, silently, that the notes on their enemy were most likely their best defense but as it was, they remained hidden. It was very likely that an all out search of Gummadoon’s large walls was in the future. Such an undertaking was no small step. Doable but difficult. There was more the fear of the panic it would ensure.  
  
Thankfully, their meeting was broken up by the door opening. “Sir Gumlittle…”  
  
“Sir Jerri, how can we help you?”  
  
“Sorry for the interruption Sirs, but Lady Sarrika has reported to me that Toni has woken up.”  
  
Gumlittle was instantly on his feet. Plucki gave him a smile and nod “Go to your squire, brother. Perhaps he can provide some insight and even if not, he will need your strong presence.”  
  
Gumlittle gave a nod and tore out, following Sir Jerri. Blastus turned and eyed Plucki. The Gummadoon Captain stated “You should go to the other cubs Blastus. Assure them that we have not forgotten our word to them. I will join you presently once I have settled some things.”  
  
Blastus nodded; he knew his brother liked to be alone to think when he was stressed so he darted out, seeking out the trainees.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Library**_  
  
“Tavi where are we going?”  
  
“Shh!” she hissed as she led him to the back of the library. “Hopefully to get some answers.”  
  
She pushed open a door Cubbi had noticed but always just assumed led to one of the old research rooms or something. However, as he followed her in, he gaped as a velvet colored book came into view.  
  
“A Great Book?”  
  
Tavi nodded “Of course.” She walked up, having to stretch to her tiptoes to reach it. “Auntie says that it has a ton of answers. Maybe it’ll tell us something…”  
  
Cubbi followed her. Gummadoon’s Great Book looked oddly like the Glen’s but it seemed so much larger. It was locked. Tavi pressed her fingers to the seal and it hummed the brilliant golden hue before the pages flipped open. Cubbi walked up behind her, standing on his tiptoes as well. Tavi started to turn the pages, one at a time then faster and faster. She reached past the D’s before she slowed down.   
  
Both cubs were silent. Cubbi knew little about Emi but knew if he had mentioned the name at home that Grammi would change the subject. Not even Zummi mentioned her. If that was true, then there was definitely something to her.  
  
“Here!”  
  
Cubbi snapped his attention to the book. Tavi was pointing to a picture of a gummi with slick black hair and black fur. There was writing next to her portrait but it was unlike any writing Cubbi had ever seen. He eyed Tavi who was skimming it, moving her lips slowly, trying to read it. “Tavi, can you read it? I can’t.”  
  
“Nu uh.” She shook her head. “It’s Old Gummi, this hadda been written a while ago.”  
  
“Old…Gummi?”  
  
“You’ve never heard of it?”  
  
“Uh uh…” he frowned “So you can’t read it?”  
  
“Nope…not a lot of people know it…but I know who can.”


	18. Chapter 18

_**Gummadoon Halls**_  
  
Corvi was headed inside himself after Blastus had met up with them and ushered them inside. He promised them a night of stories and games, followed by a trip of some sort in the morning. Corvi knew that the delay was due to Toni. He couldn’t really blame them. They were all feeling it. He was glad that it seemed Toni was alright but the feeling of…uneasiness refused to settle.  
  
He’d seen Cubbi on his way down the hall peek into Plucki’s office. The cub looked like he was ready to burst, like he needed to talk but then he had frozen in the doorway and just stared. Corvi knew why. When Plucki got into thinking mode, he always looked so old, so worn. The cub had slipped away and walked slowly then torn down the hall. Curiously, now that Coriv thought of it, he had headed for the kitchen.  
  
Responsibility for the young cub filled his heart and he went after him to see if he could aid in some form.  
  
Cubbi wasn’t sure how many leaves to use, or even if he was seeping it right but he wanted to try.  
  
Tavi had run off to find Corvi, said that he would know what the writing said. Cubbi had insisted on going straight to Plucki, sure that the Gummadoon Captain would offer answers. However, he had never seen Plucki look like he had and it had frozen him in his tracks. He’d never seen anyone look so worn or tired. He had drawn back, not wanting to irritate him. Whenever Grammi got stressed or looked tired, Sunni would make her tea.  
  
So, he surmised he would do the same for his captain.  
  
Dumping the tea leaves into the water, he let them seep while he got together honey and some of the sugar. He wasn’t in the kitchen much here but he knew where most of that stuff was. Setting them on a tray, he went back to the pot of water, pleased that it had turned the dark color he knew was tea.  
  
“What are you doing, Cubbi?”  
  
Cubbi whirled around and blinked. It was Corvi! Figured he would find him and not Tavi! Still, his thoughts were on Plucki now and not the writing. He tended to switch between goals readily and he had been raised that tending to another’s needs was more important. So, he reasoned that once he gave this to Plucki that he could ask Corvi. But, it’d be rude not to answer so, “Making some tea.”  
  
“Are you?” Corvi eyed the handfuls of tea leaves the cub pulled from the water and how dark the water was, internally wincing. Plucki was the knight with the most experience with children but all the same, Corvi pitied the knight. Cubbi poured some into a cup and walked out of the room, saying “When I’m done, can I talk to you, Corvi?”  
  
“Sure, kid.” The teen replied, following after Cubbi. He should have said that he wasn’t allowed to make tea, being only ten but Cubbi looked kind of cute and it was a sweet gesture so he figured it was excusable. Besides, no one had mentioned it to Cubbi yet so he could plead ignorance. He considered interfering so that the cup would never be delivered but Corvi had learned firsthand how stubborn Cubbi was and he really didn’t know how he would do that without crushing the cub’s feelings. He couldn’t say the cub didn’t know how to make it as he had observed the boy from the door. Cubbi seemed to have the basics of tea making down, but Corvi had never seen so many leaves or herbs go into one pot.  
  
Poor Plucki…tea that strong’d knock out a horse.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Sir Plucki’s Office_**  
  
Cubbi remembered to knock and he got a reply that he guessed was Latin. Plucki musta been working really hard if he’d switched to Latin. Cubbi only heard him do that if he was training the adults. Still, it had been a gentle reply and when it was repeated, he surmised it meant something along the lines of it was okay to enter. He pushed the door open, balancing his small tray in one arm.   
  
Plucki was still as he had been before. Head in one hand, slowly rubbing his face. He would occasionally tap the desk with his fingers. Cubbi took a deep breath and walked over, slowly sliding the tray onto the desk. Plucki blinked and opened his eyes at the noise and turned, meeting Cubbi’s bright but concerned face,“Brought you some tea, Plucki.”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Outside Sir Plucki's Office_**  
  
He knew spying wasn't a good trait for a knight, and frowned down upon heavily when squires were doing it, but Corvi was growing anxious. Not only was it becoming increasingly harder to pacify his littlest brother when it came to answering questions on where Mother was but his mind sought to diffuse any attention brought towards him so that none of the adults would yet find out that Mother had passed on, succumbing to whatever sickness she had. He bit his lip, blocking the sadness with pain. His eyes flicked up and down the hallway before he pressed his ear to the door. He had to know if Cubbi was going to tell Sir Plucki that he saw Corvi in the kitchen.  
  
At first, he heard only mumbles. Plucki's voice, then Cubbi's, and then a great sputtering as Sir Plucki took a sip of the hot liquid.   
  
"Great Gum! Who taught you to make tea like that??" came the hoarse voice of the knight-captain. Further coughing followed.  
  
"Uh... No one, Sir Plucki. I... I'm sorry. I just wanted to help."  
  
Silence. Corvi held his breath, not sure if the younger squire were about to get into trouble. Maybe he should have stopped Cubbi. Maybe--  
  
Quiet at first, then with more gusto, Plucki's bass chuckling filtered through the closed door.  
  
Out of relief most likely, Cubbi joined in. "I'm real sorry, Plucki. I'll ask next time."  
  
Through the laughter, Sir Plucki said, "At least... At least you took out the leaves!"  
  
Satisfied that he wouldn't be in their conversation, Corvi backed up a few steps and turned around, pretending he hadn't been spying at all.  
  
Tavi stood right in his way, staring at him with a frown.   
  
"Uh..." Corvi couldn't think of anything good to say.  
  
Cubbi, tray in hand, exited Sir Plucki's office and found the two of them out in the hall. "Hey, Corvi. I found him first, Tavi."  
  
"He was spying on you and Plucki. I saw him."  
  
"I... I was just..." How could he counter the truth?  
  
Cubbi frowned a moment, then said, "Maybe he knows, too." He headed toward the kitchen.  
  
Tavi followed. "How could he know? We just found it!"  
  
"Know what?" Corvi later asked himself why he followed either of them to begin with.  
  
Cubbi slowed so he could whisper a reply. "The stuff in the Great Book, about Emi."  
  
"No, you dumby!" Tavi socked him, nearly knocking the tray from his grasp. "I meant about Toni's mom being possessed!"  
  
"Oh..." Yep. He'd let the cat outta the bag there. Given Corvi's white face. "Uh..."  
  
"Y-you guys shouldn't be messing with anything like that. If the Council even THOUGHT we were curious about... her... they'd flip out."  
  
"You don't understand," Tavi said. "She's been in my dreams. I HAVE to know if she can come back. I have to know more about her."  
  
"She was the only gummi in history to turn evil. What more do you need to know? Going down that path... You especially, Tavi. I'm not gonna lie. Because you have gummi medallions inside you, who's to say you won't turn out like her, cuz that's what she did. And then she went mad."  
  
Tavi grew quiet. She bit her lip. Not as if she hadn't thought the same thing herself.  
  
"Hey, lay off! And keep quiet! Nobody can know about this yet."  
  
"My Auntie knows. I told her already. That means the Council knows. I don't wanna scare anybody. I just want answers. I KNOW what could happen, Corvi. And... well... We need your help."  
  
"MY help?"  
  
"Yeah. You studied some Old Gummi. Your mom was fluent in it. I know she's sick but if you could help us translate from the Great Book, that'd do."  
  
And he thought his life couldn't get any worse... If he refused, they might ask to speak to his mother and that was impossible. He could NOT let these two find out. No matter how scary this favor was that they asked, it would be more terrifying not to comply.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Library**_  
  
The three cubs crept into the library. They were not alone as they had been earlier. Councilor Spinwillow was sifting through some ancient texts. Tavi signalled for the boys to hold back while she approached.  
  
"Hi. Whatcha lookin' up?"  
  
She'd startled Spinwillow. "Oh... Um, nothing to trouble your little head, Tavi."  
  
She scanned the spine of the book. "Researching possession, huh?"  
  
"Uh... well... Shouldn't you be playing?"  
  
"I am playing. I'm playing hide-and-seek with two other cubs in here. I don't think they should know about you looking up possession though."  
  
"Er... Likely not. I'll just borrow the book out and research in my quarters."  
  
Councilor Spinwillow retreated from the library, casting a nervous gaze about him to try and located the other cubs.  
  
Corvi and Cubbi met up with Tavi at the Great Book.   
  
"You sure are devious." Corvi shook his head at her performance.  
  
"I didn't lie at all." she defended.  
  
"No, but you did manipulate a council member. Let's just hurry and get this done. This whole thing is givin' me the creeps."  
  
Tavi opened the Great Book with her hand, just as before.  
  
"Whoa..." was Corvi's response but his nose was in the book as soon as it opened. Even while Tavi turned the pages, he was scanning the text. Mother always said he was a fast reader, and fast learner. Especially with languages. Not just Old Gummi. He knew more French and Latin than most gummies twice his age. Still, with his desire to learn as well as to get on with the task at hand, he was taken aback by the picture of Emi presented on the page Tavi stopped at. Without thinking, he read the words aloud, his heart beating faster with each one.  
  
"Ki falateh hie aouro Emi, cheh coruupei-a. Ijsh furud coruupa-a kep ijsh tandureiis. Djalk-hectet ahn-a coshiil va urrra-Destini. Ebuya-ijsh aksa'heis."  
  
"What does that mean?" Cubbi broke the silence that followed. "That's not a spell or anything, right?"  
  
Corvi shook his head. "It's... It just says that if you're seeking Emi, then they failed. Her prison has weakened and she'll be free. The trial's judgment put the evidence in Destini's hands. May she guide you."  
  
"Evidence? Trial?" Cubbi looked from Corvi to Tavi.  
  
"Well, she was a gummi. I'm sure they did have a trial, no matter what she was accused of or actually did do."  
  
"That's still kind of obscure. They want us to sit back and let the hand of destiny help us out? That's like believing in fate. I dunno if I believe in any of that stuff."  
  
"No, Cubbi." Corvi sighed. "It literally says Destini. As in Destini Gummi."  
  
"... Oh. Well... If she has information on Emi, and she's... she's..."  
  
"No longer here."  
  
"Yeah, Corvi. No longer here. Then aren't we at a dead end?"  
  
Cubbi and Corvi both turned to Tavi for her opinion.   
  
"Well... Not exactly. I dreamed of Destini, too."  
  
"But she's..." Cubbi just couldn't bring himself to say it.  
  
"Dead. I know." Tavi sighed. "There's a spell, to let us talk to the dead, if they wanna tell us something." Unsure, she turned to her fellows. This was all getting very complicated and more than a bit scary. The things Tavi had heard about Emi weren't just stories to scare little cubs. She did horrible things to her own people and there's never been any explanation for it. Did the medallions turn Emi evil, corrupt her? Just what ARE gummi medallions made from and how are they made? Isn't gummi magic not supposed to hurt gummies? Tavi was scared but more scared NOT knowing the answers to all these questions. She had to learn about Emi first, and the medallion origins, and if that meant talking to the dead, she'd do it. She felt as if her very life depended on it. She did NOT wanna go crazy and kill everybody.  
  
The boys saw the turn of her face from scared rabbit to determined bear and knew whatever they said wouldn't matter so they better stick by her.  
  
"Whaddo we hafta do?" Cubbi asked.  
  
“Well, I need a spell from the Great Book, so let’s start looking.” Tavi said.  
  
Tavi and Corvi both poured over the giant book and Cubbi was left to his own thoughts while they searched. He hated it.  
  
Cubbi thought as he bit his lip a little; hearing the news that Emi may return from her prison made him feel pale inside. He knew if she was to return... what could prevent her from bringing back Zorlock?  
  
“Got it! I found it!” Corvi exclaimed, unsure why he was so excited. He wanted nothing to do with talking to the dead. Unless... Well, maybe, JUST maybe, if he had no other options, he’d call the favor back and ask Tavi to summon his mom’s ghost if they tried to split him up from his little brothers. It was either that or they had to run away from Gummadoon. Gum it all, he did NOT wanna be thinking about this right now.  
  
"Tavi, you can communicate with Destini, even where she is now?" Cubbi had looked puzzled when she said that she could communicate with the dead.  
  
"Yes, Cubbi, I'll have to read this part here more in the Great Book to see how it's done, but I want to make sure if I can, that I don't end up sending a communication that Emi intercepts where she can figure out what were going to do to stop her.  
  
Cubbi and Corvi looked at each other, not knowing exactly what she meant but went with her words as these were all they had to comfort each other.  Corvi, knowing this information, hoped it was true, he thought after all this was over, that maybe he could find out what really caused his mother to die.  Corvi was nervous still but blocked his emotions by means of pain once again, biting a little on his tongue.  
  
Cubbi then had a flashback to a little after Zummi reopened Gummi Glen's Great Book of Gummi, he heard him mention this spell about talking with ones that had crossed over, but he thought more and didn't remember if Zummi ever tried this spell.  After their first encounter with Zorlock, he was a little timid to ask about this, since Gruffi would complain about Zummi's use of Gummi Magic and Spells.  Even though the creature Gruffi blamed Zummi for creating, was the work of Zorlock magic.  
  
Cubbi then flashed back to when he was controlled by Zorlock, gulping quietly, not letting the others know he was becoming concerned that if Emi did return, Zorlock could return and this time destroy him for what happen.  The more he thought quietly to himself, he was concerned now for his family in Gummadoon; he couldn't live to see Sir Plucki destroyed, no, this would not happen again...  
  
He wouldn't let it happen again, letting Zorlock or Emi control him or Tavi, not this time.  
  
“Has anyone ever done that spell before, Tavi?” Corvi cut into her thinking and she turned.  
  
“I dunno.” She answered honestly and shrugged. Corvi slapped his face, groaning. The small girl pouted in protest. “Sorry, Corvi! I know that it’s in the Great Book and Auntie says that nothing goes in here that hasn’t been tested…” she scratched her head “ I think that’s what she said anyway.”  
  
“Swell, so we’re going on ‘maybe.’”  
  
“Better than no.”  
  
Corvi didn’t feel like arguing the point. He’d been dragged into this and now it appeared he was stuck. No sense ranting about it. Better to tackle the task at hand. “Alright, so you need to research it then.”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t want to mess it up. Messing with the dead is not something I wanna be sayin’ ‘oops’ with.”  
  
No argument on Cubbi’s part there! He’d been involved with his share of ghosts and spirits and he still wasn’t entirely sure of all their abilities. Most dead people seemed to want to rest. What if they summoned up Destini and she was already cranky? He didn’t like to mess with ghosts. Still, he didn’t want to just sit around and do nothing either! If they had to talk to Destini, and it sure looked like it, to find out how to handle this coming threat, then he was ready!  
  
Tavi took a deep breath and recited the spell as if she’d known it all her life. Mist swirled into the library and became a smoky column which stood right in front of the young gummi wizardess. When it cleared, the ghostly vision of a transparent Destini Gummi stood in its place.       
  
Cubbi and Corvi stared, stunned, at the ghostly image standing before Tavi. Well, not standing. She floated. Corvi stood motionless, afraid of being seen, despite the fact that this... ghost... used to be someone he knew. Cubbi, having had some experience with ghosts already, knew that at least gummi ghosts weren't to be scared of. Still, knowing it and not feeling a little weirded out were two different things. A shudder ran down his spine. Oddly enough, Tavi was the one who showed no fear or hesitation. Must be because she was so scared about turning into Emi.  
  
"I... I called you here cuz I need to ask you some questions about Emi, and about gummi medallions." Tavi asked the ghostly Destini, her voice shaking slightly.  
  
Destini sighed, her eyes sad. "All that I knew of Emi Gummi is hidden away. It is not meant for curious cubs."  
  
"But... I'm not just curious, Destini! I have these dreams, and--"  
  
Destini raised a transparent hand. "I am aware of the problem."  
  
"Then you know we need the journals from the trial." Cubbi piped up, deciding to stand beside Tavi. They needed to stick together to get answers, plus he wanted to prove he wasn't afraid of Destini's ghost.  
  
"I know they will be needed."  
  
"Destini, was it really you in my dream?"  
  
The eyes of the ghost drifted away from Tavi and her question. "Yes. I should not have tried so soon. You were not ready."  
  
"Then..." Tavi gulped. "Then Emi really has been in my dreams, too. I'm turning into her!" Panic seized the cub. Her hands clenched. She felt trapped!  
  
Destini floated near and kneeled. She smiled. "A great much has been placed on you, child, but you are NOT Emi and you never shall be. Perhaps it should be you who take the journals of Emi to the Council. I fear they will not find them in time without help. They are within the walls of my old studying spot. Go there and find them, bring them to the Council."  
  
"Your study spot?" Cubbi asked.  
  
Destini's ghost turned to him and smiled. "I studied magic. My favorite place to study was my old mentor's room. You will find the journals of Emi in the narrow passages behind Merlinni's rooms. That is all I may tell you."  
  
Destini began to fade from view.  
  
"Wait!" Tavi, in her desperation, reached for the ghost. Her hand passed right through.       
  
"Destini, what about the medallions? I need to know what they come from, and what's happening to me!"  
  
The smile was the last part of Destini they could see. "You will learn, in time. Goodbye, child."

* * *

  
Tavi smiled “My Auntie Toffi! Her smaller job for the council is to keep track of all the old maps. They’re in her room. They might have something.”  
  
Cubbi eyed Corvi. “And you’re sure just asking them wouldn’t work right?”  
  
Corvi shook his head, “No. I’m positive it wouldn’t. You’d just make the adults more nervous if you start asking.”  
  
Tavi put her hands on her hips, “Don’t they think we have a right to know?” She scowled; again, it seemed they were left out because of their age. That wasn’t fair and it was kind of stupid in her opinion. All she knew were the horror stories that older boys got in trouble for telling littler cubs.  
  
Corvi eyed her “Emi isn’t the same like other enemies.”  
  
“Well, do you know where we can get more information then? You live here, and you’re older than Tavi. You gotta know something else!” Cubbi asked. He was bursting at the seams. He wanted to know more and he wanted to know now. He never was very good at waiting. It might have felt like they were going around in circles but he knew enough about adults to know that it was really rare for them to put all their information in one spot, or with one person. It seemed like there were always other areas but sometimes you had to dig for it.  
  
Corvi frowned; how did he get wrapped up in this? “Well, the adults won’t tell you anything. The Great Book only told us this. Finding the maps and the trial journals Destini mentioned are our best bet.”  
  
Cubbi nodded, “So when did all this happen again?” He was beginning to wonder if Corvi knew more than he was telling.  
  
Corvi groaned, thinking back. He knew a few stories about Emi but his knowledge was pretty limited as well. He remembered that they had trapped Zorlock about seven years before Gummadoon was forced to flee. He’d been very young back then. Emi had been sent away, about two years before Gummadoon vanished from the present. Still, back then, he was still pretty young and the adults were reluctant to discuss a lot of the details of battle with him. But some things stuck firm and hard.  
  
“I guess around the same time as the gummi-human wars.”  
  
Tavi eyed Corvi, “Corvi, you were around then, weren’t you?”  
  
The teenager nodded, pushing some stray golden strands out of his eyes. “Yeah, I was but I was young.”  
  
“So, can’t you tell us anything?”  
  
Corvi sighed deeply, “Tavi, I was eight or nine.”  
  
“So, what? That’s how old Cubbi is! And you remember your father don’t you?”  
  
Corvi took a deep inhale of breath at the memory. Maybe that was why he dreaded dipping into this. So much pain had happened, in such a short amount of time. The same year that Emi had been captured, he had lost his father. He didn’t like to remember anything from that year. Still, it didn’t look like Tavi meant to relent any time soon so he frowned. “Well, I mainly remember lots of fear. From everyone. The knights and everyone. I remember that Blastus and the others were always gone it seemed like.”  
  
“Doing what?”  
  
“Trailing Emi I suppose.”  
  
“You think?” Cubbi asked incredulously.  
  
“Well, they didn’t tell me much back then. I just had to go on what I picked up from the ways they acted.”  
  
“Well, so what do you know then?”  
  
Corvi frowned, trying to think. Back then, he had dismissed so much, things that he realized now would have probably been useful. Well, no use dwelling on it now.  It was hard to focus on those years gone past, especially when so much had happened. “I remember she never seemed to stay in one spot. She was always moving around. I remember that they brought out the enchanted weapons.”  
  
Cubbi stared at him, “You can enchant weapons?”  
  
“Sure.” Tavi replied, jumping in. “The Council just hates to do it. Auntie says that it’s draining and that it does something funky to the magic involved.”  
  
Corvi nodded firmly, “Makes it more dangerous, harder to control I guess.” He shrugged “I’m not sure exactly what happened except that the knights came home in less numbers and bleeding. They were all in sick bay for a long time and they looked really sad. I remember all the adults being sad…but beyond that, not much.”  
  
Except fear, he thought. So much fear in their eyes. And beyond fear, sadness he still couldn’t quite place. Corvi had seen his share of sadness in his life. He had felt the burn of knowing you would never see a family member again. That lesson had been scalded into his mind when he was nine, when his father had fallen. But more than that, he’d seen Plucki’s eyes when Aldi and Illsi had been lost. He had been young, very young but he still remembered Plucki’s eyes if nothing else. Eyes that broken did not leave your dreams for years.   
  
He remembered following Blastus and just seeing and hearing such sadness and pain from Plucki, a gummi he usually saw the same as he saw Blastus: invincible, strong and never one to crumble. Yet, Plucki had been in tears, looking a shell of who he once was. His mother had crumbled similarly after his youngest brother was born, when they had to tell her that his father was gone.   
  
But when they had come in from capturing Emi, he had never seen such a darkness or hurt to their eyes. He had been young but even then he had understood that something horrific had happened. It still wasn’t a sadness he had ever seen repeated and quite frankly, he never wanted it to be repeated. Seeing it once had been enough. Yet, here they stood, investigating the very thing that had caused such heart break.   
  
He understood the adults’ fear of it, their deliberate attempts to keep the cubs out of it but sometimes, such things were not possible and it seemed that they had been dragged into it.  
  
Yet, all the same, something was telling him that Fate had directed this for a reason. While he was petrified to be walking these forbidden memories, he knew Tavi would not relent, Cubbi either and maybe that was a good thing. Why it could be a good thing he really didn’t know but something told him it was. So, nothing to be done but to make due as best they could.   
  
“You’ll learn more from books than from me.” He said with a sad smile. “Though, I still say you two are treadin’ dangerous waters here.”  
  
Cubbi nodded. “We know.”  
  
Corvi wasn’t convinced that either of them truly understood. He knew more details than most cubs, partially because he had a right to ask because he had been…well, they had captured Emi two years before the Gummies had fled and about one year had passed, in regular time since them. Time travel and floating among millennia was confusing for one’s math but essentially, for the gummies of Gummadoon, only three to four years had passed since Emi was locked away. It had been five hundred years at least for the rest of the world. Emi’s crimes still burned harshly within Gummadoon’s heart. Tavi had been too young to remember very well. But Corvi remembered all too well.   
  
His father had been killed on a mission to track her down. He had trailed after him, he had been there when he had fallen. Desperately, Corvi attempted to think back but there was so much blurriness to the memory, no doubt his mind’s attempt to protect him from the pain. He had never shared the fact he had seen his father die with anyone, not even his blood family. Now, for some reason, that memory seemed vital and important but at the moment, it was beyond his reach presently. Frustrated, he shook his head, almost grateful when Cubbi spoke up.  
  
“Tavi, why don’t you find the maps in Wooddale’s room. I’m gonna see if any of the other books here tell me anything.”  
  
Corvi nodded to that and Tavi took off upstairs. Cubbi headed deeper into the library but turned. “Aren’t you coming Corvi?”  
  
“In a few minutes.”  
  
Now, he was determined. How had their determination slipped into him?!   
  
The smaller cub nodded and ran out into the larger room though how he planned on searching out these possible books was beyond him, given he could barely read a story book. However, he was determined to find out anything that he could. He was well accustomed to how a library was organized but that didn’t make this any easier. As if his reading wasn’t bad enough, his math wasn’t a great deal better.   
  
Oh, simple equations were easy, especially the kind used to determine berry amounts or things like that. He wasn’t used to calculating things to do with time travel and history though. He knew the approximate time of the gummi-human wars but that was all. Still, it was better to have something to go on than nothing. Setting his eyes upward, he scanned the shelves of the library before starting to walk along, back towards the far east end of the library. He found the shelves only because he saw how thick the books were and he saw a bunch of old maps. Maybe these were the ones that could tell them where Merlinni’s room was. Cubbi was determined to find out.  
  
Getting them down, though… That was gonna be hard.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Councilor Wooddale’s Room_**  
  
Tavi pouted. Why did her aunt feel the need to keep all her maps on insanely high shelves?  
She knew she really should wait and ask her aunt but then she was certain that the woman would inquire why and she already knew that any questions about Emi would result in no answers. So, she stood here, looking up at her aunt’s large shelves, thinking. She could always use magic to bring them down but she doubted her ability to control it and not make a ton of noise. It was better to just do it the old fashioned way.  
  
Pulling herself up, she made her way up the shelves slowly, finding her footing on each shelf and making sure they weren’t going to give out. She finally reached the top and after looking through some of the smaller maps, she selected a large one and pulled it loose though not without some dust and jumped down, sitting down, folded legs and started to trace a thumb along the inked routes. She realized with irritation that most of the words were written in older language, words she didn’t know. However, there was a lot of information; it would just take some time to make her way through them all.   
  
Well, it wasn’t like she had more important things to do. This was the most important.  
The map contained half of Gummadoon’s living quarters. The right half. All the wizards kinda lived next to each other, and the knights next to each other, and stuff. She saw the area for wizards, and that’s who Merlinni was. She heard stories about him. Old, old stories. Never met him of course. He died a long, long, LONG time ago. Tavi wondered which one of the rooms in the wizard’s section was Merlinni’s. The map didn’t say who lived where. Hm. Did she have to search each room? It could be one of the Gummadoon councilor’s rooms, or one of the rooms of the five other wizards in Gummadoon. Maybe she was going about this the wrong way. Would it be as simple as trying to use the medallions inside her to help her find the room? Was that dangerous? Tavi exhaled a deep and frustrated breath. She liked magic and didn’t exactly regret what she did to have the medallions reside inside her but... It sure complicated things like what was right and what was wrong, and worst of all there was no one she could ask!

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sick Bay**_  
  
“Hey there, sleeping beauty.”  
  
Toni blinked and opened his eyes the rest of the way, Gumlittle’s face instantly coming into view. The second thing that came to his mind was how much his wrists burned. The third thing was that his leg no longer hurt. The fourth was that his body felt hot but it felt better than it had before. But mostly was confusion but lightness as well. The darkness and pain that had consumed his heart over the past week or so had been diminished, immensely. It was still there but now, it was as if a haze had been lifted. The thoughts of doubt were there but not like before. The desire to impress was still there but not like before.  
  
And the feeling of being alone and utterly unloved was gone.  
  
“Gummie?”  
  
The Gummadoon knight smiled and hugged the small child close to his chest, in pure relief. “Toni, Toni, Toni, you scared us to death.”  
  
Fingering the bandages around his wrists, Toni blinked. “Wh..what happened?”  
  
“We were kind of hoping you could tell us that, Sport.” Gumlittle replied, gently, brushing the cub’s hair back slightly. “Can you tell Gummie what you remember?”  
  
The small cub frowned, narrowed his eyes, “Well, since when?”  
  
“Well, why don’t you tell me what you remember?”  
  
He frowned, thinking. “I remember…well, I remember telling you not to go outside.”  
  
That far back? “Oh, you mean in the living room.”  
  
Toni nodded, then froze. He may have felt better but he still didn’t want to think about what could happen. He still had a very real fear of that dream. After all, his mother had turned out as—  
  
“Where’s Mother?” he asked suddenly, his breath a bit short.  
  
“She’s fine, lad. Sarrika is taking good care of her. After you ran off, she passed out. She looked worried about you.”  
  
That wasn’t a lie. He didn’t quite know what was going on but talking to Toni was confirming more of his suspicions. Toni’s entire demeanor had changed, he didn’t remember many details…all that, plus his mother’s sudden slump and then her facial change and now her current state, it was all pointing to magical interference. That in itself made his blood boil.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
“So Toni’ll be alright?”  
  
“Sarrika said he should be. He’s sleeping right now.” Gumlittle reported. “His memory’s foggy though, like I told you.”  
  
Plucki nodded. “Unforgiveable, going after the cubs and in such a cruel manner.” That was a minor way of expressing his thoughts. To magically influence a cub’s feelings like that, and using their own mother! So heartless, so… dark, though it did ease Plucki’s heart to know one of his fellow gummies had not turned so cold but was instead a victim of outside circumstances. Yet his heart feared that more damage than could be repaired had been done. What to do now…  
  
Blastus eyed his two brothers. “And you know for a fact that you’re already having every thing done that you can, mes frères.”  
  
They nodded, but they hated being this helpless, especially with children involved. “So it appears. You told the council your suspicions?”  
  
“Yes.” Gumlittle assured him. “They’re keeping a close watch on Toni and his mother. They said that the influence seems to have left Toni entirely. All he’s fighting now is a fever.”  
  
“And his mother?”  
  
Gumlittle shrugged “They haven’t said much positive about her.”  
  
Silence. They all knew that such things usually meant less than positive outcomes.  
“Well, then, let’s give little Toni something to be happy about.” Blastus told them firmly. “We still have plenty of time now to take the boys out this night, let’s do that. We promised them a reward week, I say it’s time we give them what we said.”  
  
Plucki, despite his worry, smiled. “You know, Blastus, you’re right.” It might ease our own hearts as well. He had been captain long enough to know that if he pondered over something he could not change, it would only increase his stress with nothing accomplished. The Council had said themselves that nothing could be done as things presently were, the boys were probably beginning to pick up on their stress and Gum knew that Toni could use a little bit of fun…  
  
“So, let’s go find our boys.”

* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane’s Castle**_  
  
She paced, eyeing the magical cage containing the soul of the unlucky gummi she’d selected. Unlucky… How ironic. The blasted bear’s name was Lucki yet he’d died in battle against her. He’d gone up against her personally so of course she felt very satisfied stealing his body, reanimating it, and rending his soul. However, unlucky for her, she’d discovered a snag. A powerful snag, so it seemed. The soul, though she tried very hard, could not be completely severed from its corporeal host. Oh, it was an easy matter to rip a human soul from its body and destroy it, but no matter what she tried, she could not seem to break the tie of the body and soul in this gummi.   
  
As the evil sorceress poured over books and scrolls, seeking an answer, she took, a moment to display her disgust and glanced over at the wretched bear torn in two. The body lay fine on the ground but the soul kept a filament of itself attached to it like the stickiest and most unrelenting of cobwebs!  
  
Her disgust overflowed into frustration. She flung the books and scrolls off her study pedestal. They crashed to the ground with a flutter of paper. She glared at the pulled soul and stormed out of her study. Every great mind needs rest. Perhaps she needed just that remedy to sort out her dilemma. There had to be a way around this problem!  
  
Lady Bane stretched out along the length of her luxurious bed, finding no solace in the rich wisps of fabric which hung in droves from the canopy. She loved rich things nearly as much as power. This eve, however, she tossed and turned on such coveted silks and satins.  
  
Her bed chamber door was thrust open by tiny hands. A small troggle hopped in nervously. It held a violin and bow in its hands. “Music? Music?”  
  
So the little beast heard her rustling. “Yes, yes. Just get to playing!”  
  
She often had her troggles play for her but now that she had so few, her nights had less music. The creatures reproduced fast enough but the young still needed time to grow up and learn how to serve her. Such a pain. She refused to have the young ones anywhere near her. Only trained troggles would she have in her castle. This one was the youngest she’d seen allowed by her chief troggle. Perhaps she had drained her supply of troggles more than she’d thought. Well, whatever else were they for aside from gophers and servants and cannon fodder?  
  
The music the young troggle played was decent, even soothing. Lady Bane recited her sleep protection incantation so that nothing could harm her in her sleep, from afar or from near, and only then did she feel secure enough to turn over an hourglass and shut her eyes. Sleep came for her quickly.  
  
“You silly child. You really don’t understand gummies at all.”  
  
Mother? Lady Bane thought. It was a dream, a memory? Both? She saw her mother clearly. Looming, dark, frightening. It was just after that Emi gummi left. Why was Mother so interested in Emi?  
  
“They aren’t like we humans at all. Strong ties to the earth. Even bound. That’s where you strike them. That’s where they are at their weakest. Their binding ties. Home, family, love.” She smeared the last word. “Oh, I doubt you’ll ever understand.”   
  
As usual, her mother swept away, ignoring her.   
  
The evil sorceress woke with a start.  
  
Lady Bane did not sleep long, ever. It was wasteful, such time unawares. She refused to sleep more than three hours for every two days. Waking spells and youth spells and harmful spells she had aplenty. She checked her hourglass. One and a half hours. It was enough for now. There was little time remaining.  
  
The young troggle gone, she yelled for one to arrive. An old troggle, she demanded a refreshing drink and kicked him out of her way as she sped to her study. Yes, the soul still clung there, stuck in her magical cage, and stuck to its body.   
  
Vision or dream, it was a wake-up call for Lady Bane. Emi was indeed on the rise. She shuddered. Having no time to work out how to break a gummi’s bond to its body, or earth or whatever her mother was trying to tell her, she decided on a new and nearly as devious tactic. If she could not separate them, she’d merely contain the soul and just control the puppet meat-sack for her own intentions. The soul was powerless in her magical cage. Absolutely powerless.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
Tavi had no luck with the maps and even if she wanted to use her medallions to find Merlinni’s room, just asking did nothing so she went back to look for her fellows. She nearly ran Cubbi down at a hall corner.   
  
“THERE you are! What took so long?” he asked.  
  
“Nothing.” She didn’t want to tell them that she tried using the medallions. “Did you find anything?”  
  
“Yeah.” Cubbi grinned up at Corvi. “We found an old census that told us where Merlinni stayed here.  
  
“This way.” Corvi led them to the wizard’s block of chambers. “There used to be another room over here. Merlinni’s room was so full of books and scrolls and stuff they just took out his bed and made it a smaller library of rarer books. Then they closed it up after the whole Emi thing.”  
  
Corvi led them back to the Library, to a side room, to a large tapestry of gummi knights holding flowers of all things.   
  
Huh. Weird tapestry, thought Cubbi. He’d noticed it sort of before but now he really looked at it. No knights he knew were on the tapestry. Old thing. He’d love to hear that story some day.  
  
Corvi pulled back the tapestry and showed them both a large iron door. He pointed to a key hole. “We need a key to get in here. So... Who do you think has a master key to Gummadoon?”  
  
Cubbi sighed, knowing at least one likely bear. “Sir Plucki.”  
  
“I think so, too. But how do we get it? Destini said they won’t find the answers in time. It really IS up to us. So, c’mon! How?” Tavi demanded, feeling the pressure of time and evil weighing on her young shoulders.  
  
Corvi shrugged, Cubbi shrugged.   
  
They heard footsteps and quickly backtracked out to the main part of the library. Sir Gumlittle was walking through the library. He looked like he was on a mission. He saw the three cubs and stopped in his tracks.  
  
“There you are! We’ve been looking all over!”  
  
“Uh…” The three cubs exchanged glances. Were they caught?  
  
“Sir Plucki and Sir Blastus are waiting with the other pages and squires. Come on, you two!” And the big knight took a hand each of Cubbi’s and Corvi’s and ushered them to some unknown destination and project.  
  
Tavi could only look on and roll her eyes. “Just great. Now it’s just up to me?” She looked at her chest. “C’mon, you medallions. Can I get some help here?”


	19. Chapter 19

**_Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
With Cubbi and Corvi now preoccupied on whatever Sir Plucki wanted them for, Tavi knew that she had to do the research to find out what she could do against Emi Gummi.  She’d heard what damage Emi was capable of in battle and she wanted nothing of this to come about again, but still she knew she would have to find a way to decipher the old text of the maps and books and she knew it would have to be fast in order to keep Emi from crossing over again.  
  
She then remembered something that her Auntie told her about a book in the library that did explain some about the old gummi language, sorta like the books they used in their classes. She seemed to remember it was one of the old text book trainers that were once used when the council were cubs or even younger.  Tavi remembered when she asked her aunt a little about the old language when she heard her talking in it once to one of the other Councilors and was told that it was a language that normally was not taught to cubs, and she always wondered why.  Tavi then wondered if this may have been because the elders were trying to keep the secrets of Gumadoon, Emi and Zorlock locked away.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Knights Main Quarters**_  
  
Cubbi and Corvi were being led by Gumlittle and both exchanged glances, wondering if they would find out why they were to report to the Gummi Knight Captain.  Cubbi’s mind was swimming, wondering if he did anything wrong and then he remembered about the day he snuck into the weapons room. Cubbi loved to explore that room when nobody was looking; he did the same in Ursalia when Ursa or Gruffi were not looking when they were staying there during the rebuilding of Gummi Glen. He got caught quite a few times, especially when he found one of the wrist sling shots that attached to a gummi's wrist sorta like Ursa's arm bands that she never saw here without.  Cubbi would have gotten away with having that weapon if it wasn't for him trying to test it with one of Grammi's cookies, thinking it wouldn’t hurt anything. He only found out he was wrong and almost broke a large vase that was in a wall arch. He caught it just as Gruffi had come around the corner and seen him.  
  
Corvi gulped a little wondering if he did anything wrong or if he was in trouble for his study habits; since the events had come about, Corvi put less and less into his studies or classes and wondered if this was a talk about how each of the cubs had been doing in their classes.  Corvi wasn't sure why Cubbi was coming, but he thought it was something bad, but seeing Gumlittle's actions, Corvi was confused on what this was all about.  Both ubs had to take two steps for every one of Gumlittle’s.  Neither was aware on what was about to happen as they arrived to the gummi knight quarters, as Gumlittle knocked on the Plucki's door.  
  
Cubbi suddenly remembered something he’d seen on a shelf in Sir Plucki's room, on a top shelf. There was a large key that reminded him of one that Zummi had in Gummi Glen's library, which was to one of the many tunnels that were still being examined. Before the super termite's damage was done to their home, he wasn't even sure if Zummi ever tried to explore those tunnels after the rebuilding of the Glen. These tunnels were not damaged by the insect's attack but were blocked when the tunnels and halls they did use collapsed. Most of the damage were near their main hall and kitchen areas, as well as near some of their bedrooms, but this had been repaired.  
  
Still, it made him wonder, if that key that Plucki had that looked like a decoration was in reality the key the needed to get into the former room of Merlinni.  
  
Cubbi whispered to Corvi "Corvi, I think I may have an idea where we can find that key, if I’m right, I may know where it is."    
  
Corvi looked at Cubbi, puzzled at what he was talking about since he thought if Plucki did have this key; it would be hidden or locked away.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
Lady Bane thought on what her Mother had told her, on what she may have to do to attack the gummies.  She still thought of them as walking throw rugs, rodents that the world be best to be rid of.  This opinion of them had not changed since the war and with the loss of her own medallion to Tavi, she knew she had to get one back to unlock the secrets of gummi magic. Her thoughts as she slept went back to what her mother told her on how to attack the very soul of a gummi bear, to strike their ties to the earth, but how would she accomplish this? She had tried many times to both attack as well as use gummi bears for her own use, but it failed many times.  She thought, she’d test this new knowledge with the soul of Lucki.  She thought if she could use Lucki as her test subject, and was successful at her task, she may have found that weapon to use against Gummadoon and the gummies.  
  
Gummies in general were a difficult bunch to deal with, magical wise. All creatures generally had some kind of natural magical ability. How much would determine how easily they could learn or manipulate other magics. Humans fell in-between, about middle scale. Gummies almost dripped with natural magic, enough so that they, of all creatures in the world, had learned to combine magic and technology with no malevolent effects. Used correctly, that same kind of power and technology she could use to her own needs.   
Still, gummi spirits were a complex thing as she was starting to see.   
  
Lucki’s will and spirit did not falter or die. Most spirits would fade from existence entirely or at the very least return to the Afterlife. He didn’t. He was contained, which was something but it did not satisfy her. Not in the least! Such a solution was not a permanent one. However, Mother was not being very helpful. Studying spirits and souls was something Mother was known for but she was not the type to share her knowledge. Oh, no. She could surmise that Mother was laughing hysterically at her from wherever she was, chortling at her lack of knowledge while keeping the answers to herself.  
Still, she had a gummi body and soul to work with. It wouldn’t displeasure her one ounce to experiment to her full malicious content on it.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
Corvi, unlike Cubbi, knew full well that a key, let alone a master key, would not be left lying about. Perhaps that had been the case where Cubbi had grown up but among Gummadoon, they were well accustomed to probable attacks and not immune to spy attempts. If there were any keys lying about Plucki’s quarters, they certainly weren’t any master key. Probably a key to one of the older rooms sure but not a master key. In fact, if he knew Plucki well enough or heck, any of the mentors well enough, any major keys they had were always in one place and that was hanging from their belts.  
  
That certainly would complicate things. Corvi had no clue where they put them when they slept, he’d never really bothered to pay attention and he didn’t even know if Blastus would have such keys. Gumlittle and Plucki would for sure or the council but Blastus..well, that could go either way. It wouldn’t surprise Corvi if he did but at the same time, it wouldn’t surprise him if he didn’t. The master keys of Gummadoon weren’t just given to anyone.  
  
Corvi was known for his love of studying and he knew about the master keys’ creation, back when Gummadoon was first built. They had made, according to the stories, eight keys, five for the council and three for their top defenders or the top three knights. So, that meant the council had five still so..well, that would mean Blastus had one too, right? Corvi shook his head, trying to focus as they made their way outside. Gumlittle was saying something along the lines that the others were already outside.  
  
Corvi tried to focus his attention but now his thoughts were one a bagillion other things: Emi, master keys, trial notes, secrecy, and dozens of other things he couldn’t sort out at the moment. If he was right, that didn’t make things any easier, regardless of what the others may have thought. Blastus may have been the most carefree of the knights, the most playful. However, Corvi knew more than any of the other squires and pages that if it was something serious, something dangerous, then he could be just as lethal and unyielding as Plucki or Gumlittle.  
  
In short, he couldn’t just waltz up and ask Blastus to borrow a master key.   
There were other options but neither was really acceptable to him.   
  
First and foremost, taking the key, regardless of if it was for a short period of time or not, was still stealing. Knights did not steal. The mere thought of stealing from anyone let alone any of the adults knights, gummies he and the other squires had come to see as second fathers, was enough to make him sick to his stomach.  
  
Secondly, even if it came down to it, there was not one cub among all of Gummadoon, even among the squires whom were the most trained of the city’s children, that could slip anything from the knights without them noticing. Done in a game or in training was one thing and the taken item was expected to be returned as soon as the session was completed. Taking off without doing such a thing would result in punishment, questions and inevitably being caught. There wasn’t a cub yet born that could outmaneuver the Gummadoon knights.  
  
So, essentially, they were still at square one.  
  
And on top of all of this, as if it weren’t enough, Corvi still needed to slip away and check on his siblings. At least that was ONE thing he could manage. A rest week meant more time to venture away without being noticed. He could spend a little more time with them, give Morri a breather, maybe get some head way with another plan. He knew that as it was now, he couldn’t keep this up forever.   
  
Once he was knighted, it would be easy to take his siblings in but he was only twelve. He wouldn’t be knighted for six more years. There were stories of people being knighted before their eighteenth year but they were rare even among rarities. And even then, the youngest Corvi remembered reading about was sixteen.  
  
He was almost glad to see the group appear in the courtyard. Maybe all he needed was to give his brain a break from all this thinking. Did that work the same way as watching a pot or a clock? If you focused on it too much then you got nothing. He pushed his long blond hair out of his eyes and ran out to meet the other squires.  
  
Cubbi watched Corvi go to meet up with Flynn and Blastus. Gumlittle smiled and greeted Martinni. Plucki was in the midst of the group and Cubbi looked up at Gumlittle who motioned him forward. He headed forward to meet up with his own mentor. He wasn’t sure what was going on but well, whatever it was, it looked like everyone was happy and that was a welcomed sight!  
  
Plucki took a seat on one of the courtyard’s stone walls, by the center fountain. The other squires found their own seats, some perching on some of the walls around the flower gardens, some standing. Cubbi, while being older than Flynn was still smaller. He scrambled to sit on the stone beside his mentor, pushing to pull himself up. Plucki gave a low chuckle and pulled the boy up by the arm, letting him settle. Cubbi, of all of them, didn’t know what to expect. This was brand new to him. This was Flynn’s first time getting to participate in a rest week but as a page he had heard of them.  
  
“We apologize for making you wait a bit more, boys.” Plucki started out. “But we haven’t forgotten our promise.”  
  
Plucki eyed the other squires, each in turn: Corvi, Martinni, Cubbi, Flynn. It was Martinni that spoke out. “Toni isn’t here. Is he gonna miss the week because he’s hurt?”  
Gumlittle ruffled the boy’s hair. “No Martin.” He assured him. “I’ll be doing some things with him in sick bay for the first day or so but after that, he should be well enough to join you all.”  
  
Martinni nodded, relieved at that. Flynn eyed Gumlittle “He’s okay, right?”  
  
Gumlittle gave the child an understanding smile. “He’ll be fine, Flynn. He’s a tough one, just like the rest of you. His injuries are healing nicely and his fever should break sometime in the next twenty four hours.”  
  
Cubbi listened to all of this was intent and interest. Plucki spoke out again, addressing Corvi, “Corvi, you’ve had more of these rest weeks than the others, why don’t you explain to Cubbi and Flynn.”  
  
Corvi hated being put on the spot like that but he had grown accustomed to it. Plucki and the knights did it on occasion, not to embarrass or intimidate but to get them used to communicating ideas. Communication was essential as a knight, vital at times. Miscommunication sometimes may just result in a faux pas but at other times it could mean countless deaths.  
  
“Well,” Corvi leaned back, twisting his hair around one of his fingers and rubbing the ends, a habit, a tic he had when he was a bit nervous. Blastus reached out and slapped the boy’s fingers lightly.   
  
“Arrete.”  
  
Corvi let go and snorted lightly. “Laisse-moi tranquille!” He spat at his mentor. Usually, he would use the formal and polite speech but given he spoke French almost as good as he did common (a side effect of having a mentor who was fluent) when irritated, he switched to the familiar usage. Blastus gave him a small look but Corvi shrugged it off though he did drop his hands from his hair.  
  
He didn’t think that was such a big deal but Blastus always preached to him that it was a bad habit because it gave away that he was unsure and that could be dangerous. Didn’t see the point in that when he was among the others but well, sometimes it didn’t do any good to argue with Blastus. All it usually did was give you a headache.  
  
“Well, it lasts a week. The first four days we do things around the palace. Last three, the entire group goes on a trip together.”  
  
Cubbi cocked his head, intrigued. A trip? The only time he took trips usually was if they needed something or were delivering supplies. What kind of trip would this be? Where would they go? What would they do? He was bursting with questions but he reminded himself that only LITTLE kids started jabbering on. He wasn’t little anymore!  
  
“The first four days the mentors will do specific things with each of us, sometimes together, sometimes separate. We eat all our meals together, for each of the meals one of the squires and one of the knights’ll cook.” Corvi took a breath and elaborated, “Like, Blastus and I might do breakfast, Martin, you and Gumlittle might do lunch…we just decide together.”  
  
Cubbi blinked. “So..what kind of stuff do you guys do with us?”  
  
Plucki chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “All kinds of things, lad. It’s a week we take specifically to get to know each of you better, to get a closer relationship with you.” He eyed Cubbi. “So, you and I will do a lot of different things. Perhaps I’ll take you to some secret spots I know of. You’re my little explorer, are you not?”  
  
Cubbi couldn’t argue that. He loved to explore and he really couldn’t even begin to imagine all the cool places Plucki probably knew of!   
  
Martinni spoke up “And they surprise us the first day.” He said beaming at Gumlittle.  
Blastus laughed out loud “Qui, qui. First trip out we choose then we let you boys led us in what you want. Remember this is a week to learn but learn what can’t be taught by books.”  
  
Cubbi frowned. That was an odd thing to say. Learn but learn what cannot be taught by books. Well, he knew that not all things were written down. But well, couldn’t everything be written down? So, technically, couldn’t anything be learned by books? He knew Zummi always taught about how gummi lore, history and magic were preserved that way.  
  
But, then on the other hand, the Barbic gummies had no Great Book. Yet, they knew a whole bunch. They knew lots about gummi history, sometimes more than the Glen, sometimes less but if they knew less on one thing, they knew more on another. They communicated mainly through word of mouth and they passed their legends down that way, or Buddi said that sometimes that what their traditions were for, passing on history.   
  
Still, that didn’t explain this. Learn what isn’t taught in books. Well, that sounded intriguing to him at least. He was sure anything the knights could teach would be well worth it!   
  
Plucki smiled and turned to Corvi “You cover things well Corvi.” He gave his gentle praise and the boy smiled. “Can you tell them about the nightly routine then?”  
  
Corvi blinked, how could he have not mentioned that? That had always been his favorite part. “Right…every night after dinner, we all gather in the sitting room and we do a few games, games where we get to know other another and test our memory of each other. Then, when those are over and done, we get to ask the knights to tell us any story we want but we have ot share some of our own in return.”  
  
Cubbi was both intrigued and troubled by this bit of news. He would love to hear any of the knights’ tales but what tales would he have that would be of equal stature?  
  
Plucki looked at each of the boys in turn. “Do you all understand what’ll be happening?”  
  
Slowly, a nod from each of them, excitement washed over all their faces.  
  
Gumlittle eyed the group “So…who wants to cook the first meal?”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Library_**  
  
So far, nothing seemed to be going her way. Sure, now she knew where they needed to go but she as no closer to knowing how. She knew her Auntie would never loan out her key, that was just her way. It wasn’t out of mistrust or anything like that but given she was councilmember, she needed the key far too much to let it out of her grip for too long. The only ones who could afford to loan out keys would be the knights and well, that always led to all kinds of questions and that would lead to a whole bunch of reasons to why children shouldn’t worry about such things.  
  
So, she had taken to studying the blueprints again, seeing if there was any possible around the locks but thus far, she saw no such thing. Not even a transportation spell could get through a sealed door like the one they needed into. If a room had more than one exit, then transportation spells could surpass locks but if only one door was present, then there was no way around a lock.  
  
She laid her head down on a folded book. This was just making her head hurt and it was hard enough to study as it was early in the day, especially after so much that had gone on recently. She reasoned to herself…a brief rest, if it was indeed brief, would be fine.  
And the couches in the library were really comfortable.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Sitting Room_**  
  
They’d discussed several different pairs. The boys had stated their favorites for who to make dinner and lunch and breakfast for the next day. Still, the decision to who would cook for their first meal upon this first rest day was still up in the air. Cubbi sat, looking about, thinking. He was hungry, not just for food but with anxious attention for what trips and treats and surprises the knights had in store.   
  
“Alright, boys.”  
  
Cubbi looked up as did Flynn. “Well, we figure we might as well pick someone before you all wither up and blow away.”  
  
Cubbi laughed. That sounded like Grammi. His eyes focused ahead and Plucki gave him a gentle smile then a gesture forward “Come on, Cubbi. You and I are up.”

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Kitchen**_  
  
“Have you ever cooked before?” Sir Plucki asked him once they’d reached the kitchen.  
  
“Uh, no.” Cubbi admitted. “But I’m real good at eating!”  
  
Plucki chuckled. “That I can well believe. Never fear, young squire. I may not be a fancy chef by trade but I can make a hearty stew to fortify our crew. Grab that stool there and collect carrots, potatoes, and onions from the pantry. I’ll start the water.”  
  
One-on-one time with Sir Plucki... It’d be perfect if he didn’t have the threat of Emi on his mind. But, this was his rest week with the knights! Couldn’t he take even part of a day to just be a kid? Would Tavi forgive him?  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane’s Castle**_  
  
Lady Bane smirked, eyeing the bubble-like container holding the soul of the dead gummi. In response, the hostless corpse belonging to the soul smirked, also staring at what it once housed. If souls could shudder...  
  
“Well, now, this is better.” Lady Bane walked up to the body and placed her hands on its shoulders. She grinned evilly at the caged soul. “And you can’t utter a sound in all your agony or sorrow. Oh, poor thing,” she mocked. “You may be in hell, you wretched bear, but I am in heaven.” She kneeled down and lifted the chin of the green-furred body. “Ready to wreak havoc, my meat-puppet?”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _~Unknown Location~_**  
  
She was flying, or floating. Hard to tell which because she couldn’t at first see. Then she heard a voice calling for help in the blurred darkness. She floated that direction, curious and wanting to help. She looked down at her hands as she floated, saw that they glowed slightly. A gold color. She looked down at her body. She was glowy gold all over. Was this a dream? Could it be a dream if she was asking herself if it were a dream? Tavi shivered, unsure.  
  
The gummi girl followed the faint wails until she found a smudge in the blurry darkness. Or maybe it was a clear in the blur. All Tavi knew was that it stood out. She hovered near.  
  
“Hello?” she asked in a hushed voice.  
  
“Help me! I can’t get free! Please!”  
  
Tavi cringed. So afraid! She couldn’t tell who it was who was trapped. Oh no... Could it be Emi??  
  
“Are you there? Please help me!!” The voice was beyond desperate.  
  
Tavi took a deep breath and let it out. She didn’t THINK this was Emi. It didn’t sound like her, or how she thought she’d sound, even though such a powerful magician could probably change her voice. And even if it was Emi, how could just one gummi let her out easily? That is, IF she could help this person out. She was also assuming it was a gummi. She BELIEVED it was. So Tavi bravely-- or recklessly-- stuck her hands into the warp in the darkness.  
  
She jumped when someone clamped onto her hands with a steely grip. She panicked and yanked them back, yard. The person did not let go and was pulled out of the darkness mire. Tavi cringed at first but when no harm came, she opened her eyes. There lay next to her a shivering gummi lady. It was Karleni, Toni’s mother!  
  
“Are you okay?” Tavi asked, reaching toward Karleni.  
  
The gummi lady faded from Tavi’s sight and was gone.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Infirmary**_  
  
Sarrika was at a loss as to help the gummi further when suddenly the vitality poured back into her. Karleni shot up in bed, her eyes wide with terror, screaming, yet no sound came from her open mouth.  
  
“Karleni?” Sarrika was at her side in a heartbeat. “You’re in the infirmary. You’re okay.”   
  
Sarrika sat at the bedside. Karleni looked at her, imploring, and slumped against the healer, crying her eyes out loudly. Sarrika sighed inward. Well, at least she was aware now.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Library_**  
  
Tavi woke with a start. “Whoa...”   
  
She got up and raced out of the library, through the halls, down corridors, and to the infirmary. There, she peeked in and saw Sarrika holding a bawling Karleni. Not just a dream... What happened? Where had she gone? She’d saved somebody! But... How? How did I know where to go to find her? Tavi shook her head. The medallions again, for sure, but what did they do? She better go find Corvi and Cubbi and tell them what happened.  
  
She turned and ran right into Sir Gumlittle.   
  
“Hey there, little miss. What’s the hurry?” he asked.  
  
“Oh, er. Sorry. Um, do you know where Cubbi or Corvi are?”  
  
“Sure do. They’re with us, in the courtyard right now. I just came back to check in on Toni.”  
  
“Oh. Thanks.” Drat, she thought, walking away. If they’re with the knights, then it must be the start of that rest week thing the knights always planned. They don’t get called together too often except for training and that’d been called off for now. And even if it wasn’t the rest week, she couldn’t very well go into the courtyard and drag the two boys off when they were doing squire stuff. She sighed and went back to her room to think until supper. Maybe find a book or two from the library to do more research on.  
  
Sir Gumlittle shook his head at her departure. Always in a rush, that one. He sighed, then walked in on Sarrika holding Karleni. “I was hoping she’d be okay soon.”  
  
Sarrika eyed him. “She’s far from okay, but this is an improvement, yes.”  
  
“Can I go see Toni?”  
  
“Yes, but do be quiet in case he’s sleeping.”  
  
The knight nodded and went to the next room. Sir Ramsei, currently reading, had been sent to watch over Toni. As he entered, Gumlittle nodded to his fellow knight. Ramsei got up and left, taking his book with him.  
  
Toni lay quietly staring at the ceiling.   
  
“It’s not a dream. Any of it.” the boy said.  
  
Gumlittle shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”  
  
“Is that my mother crying?”  
  
Gumlittle wondered if the noise woke the cub, if Toni was in a daze. Gumlittle wondered a lot of things these days. “It is. She’s... She is better than she was.”  
  
Toni glanced at his stuffed fish, propped up between the wall and his bed. He reached toward it but his bandaged hand gave him pause. He lifted his hand to his eyes, squeezed the bandage with his other hand, threw back the covers and felt the bandage on his leg. “It hurts. Everything hurts so much, Gummie.” Tears leaked from his eyes as he looked over at his mentor.  
  
The knight sat at the bedside and put a hand tenderly on the cub’s forehead. “But we all heal, Toni. All of us heal in time.”

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Courtyard_**  
  
Birds sang, bugs scampered, and cubs romped when finally Cubbi and Sir Plucki arrived with the stew. Cheers rang out amongst the pages and squires, much to the delight of the knights. Yes, this rest week was well deserved and well needed.  
  
After lunch, the cubs broke up into groups as to which knight they looked to. Cubbi felt both honored and very lucky to be Sir Plucki’s only squire and the knight had no pages under him, so it was just he and Sir Plucki again, currently headed to the knight’s room.  
  
“I did say you might be shown some secret things,” Sir Plucki tempted, grinning at his squire. He opened the door to his room and let Cubbi enter first.  
  
Back to the bed, Sir Plucki led his charge. Under it, actually. The knight-captain pulled out a small wooden box and opened it. “These were my toys when I was a lad.”  
  
Cubbi looked inside with reverence but then frowned. There were only three toys: a tiny clay gummi knight figure which had been hand-made by little and unskilled hands, a blue glass marble, and a slingshot. They were pretty simple toys for someone as great as Sir Plucki.   
  
“Not very impressive maybe but it shows that everyone you admire started out just like you -- a child.”  
  
Unbidden, the thought of Emi Gummi as a cub, happy and carefree, before becoming some kind of crazed monster, rose in Cubbi’s mind. He shuddered.  
  
“What is it?” Sir Plucki, always observant, asked.  
  
“Oh, uh...” Think of something quick! “Um, just can’t wait for tonight’s stories!” He grinned big, hoping to fool the knight he worshipped. He wanted to know the story of Emi Gummi, and knew the knights knew it, but asking them to tell that story tonight would ruin these just-started good times. He couldn’t do that. At least not yet. He’d ask Corvi when maybe he should bring it up, if they were allowed to ask them to tell any story. It was a great opportunity to get answers. Then why didn’t he wanna do it? Cuz it was depressing a he just wanted to be a kid and learn and be around Sir Plucki and get to be a great knight just like him! Why couldn’t he just do that, if just for a little bit?   
  
  
Emi’ll still be there. She wasn’t getting out yet. Right?... Cubbi couldn’t even convince himself of that and just tried to focus on Sir Plucki’s stories about each of the three toys and told himself he’d ask Corvi what to do next as soon as he saw him again.  
  
Plucki could tell something was bothering Cubbi. It was plain as day, yet the cub said nothing. Should he bring it up yet or wait for Cubbi to speak up? Perhaps tonight during the round of tales Cubbi might reveal what was bothering him.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Fields**_  
  
“Do it again Corvi!”  
  
Despite himself and despite all the weight on his shoulders, the teenaged cub laughed out loud. Yanking back on the reigns, he brought Vite back to the fence at the edge of the fields where Flynn was sitting on the top most post. Blastus was inside the field, leaning his back against the wooden railing, chuckling.  
  
“Tres bien, Corvi.” He praised lightly. “Your jumping is well past what it should be for your age.”  
  
At this, Corvi gave a smile. He had always loved the riding. His parents had their small farm but because of that, they’d always had at least one pony. He had been riding almost since he could walk. When he came to train under Blastus, he had been given his first introduction to the unicorns but he had taken to them easily. They were so similar to the ponies he already knew.   
  
Blastus had taken him and Flynn out to the fields. He had taken Flynn somewhere first, giving Corvi a few hours to himself. The teenager had taken advantage of that to go check on his siblings. They were doing well as could be expected. Cori still had his questions but Morri was handling it well. Cori had been sleeping when he got there so he took some time to give Morri some time. They had not said much, just sat with one another outside by the flowers that Mother had loved so much. While it had caused pain, it had also given a faint sense of comfort. They had relaxed, laid back, enjoyed it.   
  
In fact, he had almost completely lost track of time. When he had finally bothered to look up, he had seen that he was supposed to meet Blastus and Flynn in less than two minutes. He had rushed inside, checked on Cori, given Morri some instructions as well as promise to be back later at night when he could get away and gone running off to the courtyard to meet his mentor.  
  
He had arrived to some small teasing that this week was not the time to be courting females but he had taken the jibes with a smile. It was an excuse he would allow for the moment and was honestly probably a lot better than some of the ones he would have come up with. Flynn had dropped them after one or two remarks and then started to jabber, jabber, jabber about how Blastus had let him into the ACTUAL COUNCIL CHAMBER and he had actually SEEN where they did all their work and HOW AWESOME it all was.  
  
Well, naturally, of course he had seen it. Of course he knew how it worked. He had been Blastus’ trainee for nine years, since he was three years old.   
  
But, well, everyone in Gummadoon, not just the knights, always commented how well Corvi handled the little ones. It came from having two younger siblings he supposed. After his father died, he got even better at it, trying to play somewhat of a paternal figure to them. It didn’t always work and sometimes he wound up falling back to the “annoying older brother” as his sibling Morri called it but nonetheless, it was good practice.  
  
So, he just gave Flynn a smile as they walked along and let him “educate” him on all the wondrous new information he had acquired. He had paused occasionally and let Corvi ask him questions and oh, Corvi had asked. Some of them even stumped Flynn and he had looked to Blastus but the elder knight had only responded, “Well, answer him Flynn.”  
  
To the last of Corvi’s questions, Flynn had thought and thought and thought before saying, with a small bit of a pout “I…dunno.”  
  
The reaction to this shortcoming had not been what he had thought. Rather than being ridiculed for it, he had been praised for it. Oh he had stared for that, baffled. To his shocked look, Blastus had replied, “Not everyone will always have an answer Flynn. It is tres better to admit not knowing than trying to give an inaccurate reply.”  
  
Flynn didn’t seem to completely understand the reasoning behind that, probably because like most of the boys, he thought the knights were all knowing and should always have an answer. It was something Corvi had learned only a few years ago, that his idols and mentors were not gods and were not undefeatable.   
  
That brought them up to where they were at the moment. Blastus had brought them out to the fields and brought out Vite. Corvi had more practice so he had taken to jumping the stallion over various targets set up. Flynn got a kick out of just watching, his eyes darting to and fro. Blastus didn’t say much until he was done but Corvi knew by his face that he was impressed and that his speed had most likely improved from last time.   
  
“Can I do it too Blastie?” the smaller boy asked as Corvi turned Vite around and made his way back to the fence. Blastus eyed the smaller boy as Corvi slowly dismounted.   
  
“Non, no jumping yet Flynn.”  
  
Oh the boy’s face had fallen but Blastus gave him a smile. “Mais, I see nothing wrong with you riding.”   
  
Now THAT face Blastus liked a whole lot better. The boy’s ears perked back up and his eyes sparkled. Corvi pushed himself up onto the fence as Flynn leapt down and ran for the stallion. Blastus chuckled and caught the boy about the shoulders “Attente, attente!” he commanded gently and turned the younger cub to meet his eyes. “Ecoute” he said gently tapping the child’s ears.  
  
Flynn nodded firmly, his eyes wide. He touched his own ears and reassured his mentor “Qui, I’m listening” He told him, using the little bit of French he was starting to pick up. Blastus lifted the boy up and set him on the stallion’s back, saying,  
  
“Good. You’re not quite ready to do this solo yet, petit celui.” Blastus told him as he swung up to sit behind him. He nudged the stallion lightly with his ankles then handed the reins to Flynn, one in each hand, who stared at him. Blastus gently turned the boy’s head back around “Watch where you’re going, petit celui.” He said simply. “The horse will go where he is directed.” He smiled and patted stallion’s neck.   
  
Clicking his tongue, he pulled the reins left and the horse trotted that direction. He pulled the one in his right hand and the horse turned to the right. He pulled back all at once and Vite came to a halt. He smiled down at the little one and handed the reins over. Pointing ahead, he said, “Go around the barrels Corvi was jumping petit celui.”  
  
Nervously, the boy grasped them then with a gentle nudge on the horse’s sides, he started forward.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sick Bay**_  
  
Toni laid still, his head perched on Gumlittle’s chest. It had taken some doing but Gumlittle had coaxed the child into his arms. Here now, he laid, silent. He would occasionally stir if he heard something but overall, he was still. Gumlittle found this a bit disturbing because Toni was usually his little rambunctious one. Still, it wasn;t unexpected either.   
  
The boy tensed slightly. Gumlittle eyed him “What is it Toni?”  
  
He shifted his eyes up at Gumlittle and after a long moment, he asked “Do I have to speak to Mother?”  
  
Taken aback, Gumlittle shifted his ears. Sure enough, he could hear the poor woman weeping. She sounded heartbroken. He looked back to Toni who shifted his eyes downward “I know you all said she didn’t mean to but…” he bit his lower lip and clutched his stuffed fish a bit more. “But I don’t want to see her.” He buried his face into Gumlittle’s chest.  
  
“We…won’t force you to see her, Sport.” He said gently, stroking the boy’s hair. “I know she’s really upset though. She’d probably want to see you.”  
  
He knew that. He knew now what had been real and what had been magical influence. He knew his mother may have been obsessed with his father and probably still didn’t believe he was dead, but she didn’t hate him. Still, he couldn’t erase her face from his memory of the past few days. It had cut deep, though through no fault of her own. He knew if she really WAS herself again then…yeah, she probably did want to see him, to speak. But, those memories were not imagined. They may have been created through magical influence but they DID happen. He couldn’t wipe her dark look from his memory, much as he tried to. He eyed his mentor a moment and added “Not yet, Gummie.”

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Halls**_  
  
It had taken Tavi forever to find a time when she could snag Cubbi alone. She had run into him in the hallway. Plucki was heading to ready some things for dinner, said that Gumlittle and Martinni would cook that evening meal but they still needed wood for the fire among other things. Cubbi had taken this moment to slip away, though he hated to do it. He wanted to spend time with Plucki.  
  
“What Tavi?”  
  
“I dunno what happened Cubbi but something’s happened.” She said simply. The girl went on to describe her odd experience with Karleni. Cubbi gave her an odd look and she wasn’t sure what he made of it.   
  
Cubbi, well, he didn’t know what to say. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? It meant that at least there wasn’t anything lingerin’ in that gummi woman anyway. Maybe her real self wasn’t such a jerk. Still, that didn’t give him anymore answers and that thought that had been loitering, that question about asking about Emi and when, well, he thought he’d finally forced it out of his head! But no, now this reminder pushed it to the front again.  
  
“Should I ask them tonight?” he asked Tavi. “The knights know, don’t they?” He hoped in a way that she wouldn’t answer.  
  
Tavi blinked. Every piece of her body said that they didn’t know how much time they had. But the other part of her said that if she could help Karleni like she had, then they must have still had some time otherwise, it wouldn’t have been that easy. If somethin’ was trying to attack right here and now, wouldn’t there be more signs?  
  
And there was also a more selfish reason:   
  
It was alright to relish in that one victory, that freeing of Karleni for a time, wasn’t it? And it was okay to just let Toni try and recover first, wasn’t it? It was right to let the knights relax for a little bit, wasn’t it?  
  
“Not yet.” She finally said. She wanted to give more, like maybe give a reason why or when would be a better time or how long they probably had but all she could stammer was “Not yet, Cubbi.”  
  
Not the best answer maybe…but it would do for now.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
Cubbi had certainly come to one conclusion. Well, actually two conclusions to be perfectly honest.  
  
One that so far every single meal he had here had been yummy to the extreme, more so than anything Grammi had ever made, although that certainly didn’t raise the bar too high. Still, he never pictured knights as people who cooked, aside from meals over a fire on a mission. The fact that both Plucki and Gumlittle had proved him wrong was mind blowing. The other squires had informed him that tomorrow morning when Blastus and Corvi made breakfast he would be “blown away.”  
  
He certainly loved to eat so he looked forward to that!  
  
Second, he had come to the conclusion that Gummadoon was far too big. He had stopped briefly to speak with Tavi and then had rushed to catch up with Plucki, only to find himself completely and utterly lost. He had wound up, somehow, back around where the Armory was. He still was trying to figure out how he managed that.   
  
He finally managed to run into Corvi who was heading out of his room from a bath, he had been outside doing something apparently. Corvi hadn’t said anything about it, hadn’t even asked Cubbi if he was lost, just taken his hand and led him downstairs. Cubbi was grateful for things like that, made him feel a lot less dumb about silly mistakes like getting lost.  
  
Plucki hadn’t mentioned it either, at least not out loud. Cubbi wondered slightly if he would be treated to something about not wandering off when they were supposed to go downstairs together or not, later. In any event, he made a point of it to remember that Plucki could move pretty quickly.  
  
But now, here they were, perched on pillows and blankets around the fireplace and actually being allowed to eat their dinner there. Cubbi had been petrified at first, worried about making a mess and being deemed, even if it was silently, as a slob or a baby or something but then Flynn had proceeded to drop the whole plate all over his front and no one had even laughed.   
  
It meant Blastus had to leave for a minute to help him clean up, but the overall atmosphere of none of that taunting really calmed his nerves.  
  
Now, he was nervous for another reason. He had already decided that it wasn’t the right time to ask about Emi but there were lots and lots of other stories he could think to ask. However, he had heard that the boys would tell the knights some stories of their own, too. Well, what did HE have that could possibly be of interest? He wasn’t a soldier or nothing like that.  
  
Luckily, his thoughts were interrupted as the door reopened. He turned, expecting to see Blastus but to his surprise, it was Gumlittle. When had he slipped out? The knights were good at that and he wanted to learn that kind of trick! He sat up completely though, seeing that Gumlittle wasn’t alone. “Toni!” he blurted out, grinning.  
  
Sure enough, perched in Gumlittle’s arms was Toni. He still looked a wee bit flushed in the cheeks and he had thick bandages on each of his wrists but he managed a weak smile in response to Cubbi’s greeting. Gumlittle smiled at the pink cub then lifted his eyes to Plucki and said “Sarrika was reluctant but she said as long as he doesn’t overdo it, a good dose of stories would do him loads of good.”  
  
The other cubs, squires and pages alike, were relieved to hear the last of their group would not be missing out on this fantastic time. Cubbi snuck a look at Toni. He didn't necessarily look happy but he looked relieved and maybe even able to unwind. Something wound him up real good to make him wanna hurt himself, and that something was his mother and her being possessed. But by who? Was it Zorlock? Lady Bane? Emi Gummi? He'd heard all of them could do that. First hand experience from the great battle last season and now Tavi telling him that Emi might be able to do it too cuz she was more powerful than BOTH those dumb magicians.   
  
Cubbi's glance was brief and went un-noticed by Toni. The cub definitely felt a huge weight had been lifted from him but any thought of his mother made him very uneasy. It was all because she'd been possessed. Gummie said so, so that had to be true, right? Why then did he feel so... so never-wanna-see-her-again? He was still terrified of her, that's why. Even hearing her crying like a lost cub in the next room, he was affected only by his fear and no ounce of sympathy. How had they both gotten so wrong? How--  
  
"How're yer hands, Sport? Can you grip?" Gummlittle asked his charge as quiet as he could, trying not to draw attention from the others.  
  
Grateful for the interruption from such destructive thoughts, Toni replied, "Oh, uh..." He tried to make a fist but it hurt too bad, the strength cut away by his maiming. A great sense of hatred came over him. Hatred of himself.  
  
"Don't worry about it." Gumlittle hugged him but in such a way that he didn't really show the act to the others, who might take it as a sign of weakness in Toni's eyes. The cub was so sensitive right now. Fragile. Great care had to be taken. Gumlittle whispered, "When you get hungry just tap me and we'll step out so I can feed you."  
  
Embarrassment overwhelmed him. He couldn't even feed himself! What about bathing, dressing, relieving himself? Argh!  
  
Gumlittle felt the cub tense and got a more secure hold of him in his lap, adding a strong hug in the process. He hadn't voiced his concerns to his fellow knights yet but Toni had him worried. He really needed this rest week. If only he could get the cub to unwind more. He whispered again, "Don't worry. Tomorrow your hands will be better, and even more the day after."  
  
Plucki stood up and moved closer to the fire, gaining everyone's attention. "With every rest week, it's a chance to remember things that are important, to strengthen our bonds, and one way we do that is through story." Sir Plucki looked pointedly at Sir Blastus and opened a hand toward him, inviting him up to speak.

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
Lady Bane watched the soul-less, green-furred body slowly choking the life out of the old Troggle.   
  
"Release him."  
  
Her dead gummi slave immediately stopped.  
  
The sorceress smirked. "Now to get inside and control you myself. A simple zombie won't do. I started this little project to make a possessed ghoul and that's exactly what I'm going to achieve. Lay on that table there."  
  
The dead gummi obeyed her every command.  
  
That's what she's always wanted. Everyone about her to do exactly as she commands. Was that so much to ask for? That and absolute power. Yes. Definitely one in need of power. It was the sacrifice one had to give up that rankled her. Like this. She couldn't control the gummi's body without possessing it fully. To do so, she would be fairly unaware in her own body. That would mean she'd be more vulnerable.   
  
She'd set up every magical ward she could think of and have her Troggles to defend her beautiful body, but that may not be enough to defend herself against Emi, if indeed she was to awaken. Possessing the gummi to destroy his kin and castle was the main end goal but another goal arose from her possessive snooping: the disturbing notion that Emi Gummi might break out of her prison. The most dangerous thing ever to be created. Despite herself, Lady Bane shuddered again at the thought of her.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
Cubbi was entranced, much like when Zummi would go on and on about his stories of ancient gummi quests. But this was different in its own way too. The stories Zummi told were passed down from at least one generation, at least. Zummi and Grammi were old but not enough to recall all those stories from memory. And well, they certainly hadn’t been there on all the gummi knights’ missions!  
  
That’s what made these stories so cool! These weren’t just stories. They were memories! Things that the knights recalled because they had lived and breathed them! They remembered because they had fought through them. Cubbi couldn’t even begin to imagine all the wonderful things they had been able to go through. He was sure that all the battles he had heard from their old story books were merely scratching the tip of what plethora the knights had to bestow upon them.  
  
Sir Blastus purposely waited a moment, letting the cub resituate themselves and get comfortable. He took a seat himself, up on the hearth of the fire. The stories they told on each rest week were not merely to enlighten but to drive home a common ideal among the Gummadoon knights: every story in one;s life is a lesson. Often times, the lesson was not uncovered until long after the adventure was completed. They found the boys tended to remember things much better if they had situations to relate them to and not just given situations but actual memories from another. It was the best teacher they had found.  
  
Blastus also knew the boy’s love for action and adventure so he tried to give them a taste of that. He considered a great many stories but then settled on one in particular. “Have you boys ever heard of a Caorthannach?”  
  
A few boys nodded, namely Corvi and Martinni, but the others, Cubbi included, shook their heads. Cubbi had heard of a lot of different creatures: centaur, minotaur, unicorn, dragon, cherub but well, this one was new. And complicated!   
  
“A Cao-whatis?” he asked, trying to get his tongue to cooperate but it refused.  
  
Blastus gave a gentle chuckle and smiled, repeating it “No mon enfant, a Caor-than-nach.” He stressed the pronunciation. Cubbi nodded and repeated in the same manner Blastus had, surprising even himself when that long complicated word flowed out of his lips. Blastus gave him a nod and praise of accomplishment “Qui, mon enfant, a Caorthannach.”  
  
Corvi eyed Cubbi. “You never heard of one?” This shouldn’t have surprised Corvi. That kind of creature was pretty rare to hear of, even in myths. But he’d supposed with all the adventures and such that said pink cub loved to learn about, that he would have come across it. It seemed such an assumption was ill-conceived.  
  
Cubbi shook his head fiercely “Nu uh. What is it?”  
  
At this, Blastus chimed in “An old creature of Ancient Times. World was thankfully not blessed with many. Most of them were slain by many a brave soldier mais in years before our battles with the humans, when our alliances were still firm and strong, we received word of one that was troubling the villages of human and gummi alike.”  
  
Cubbi nodded to this. The notion that humans and gummies had lived together in peace before was not as alien to him as it may have been to others. He was one of the portions of the population that believed firmly in said alliances. After all, if he and Cavin could become friends, why couldn’t their kind? In any event, he nodded in acknowledgement that this was many years ago, before a lot of the stories he knew of.  
  
“As for what a Caorthannach is?” Blastus asked. As if chiming in with his tale, the fire behind him brightened and illuminated the large room, provoking a choice few shadows on the walls but the boys’ eyes were firmly focused on the French knight. Even Toni, who was still pretty melancholy was entranced and had shifted his position on Gumlittle’s lap so he was on all fours and leaning in closer. Blastus let them wonder a moment before he stated “Caorthannach is a race, mes amis. A race of creatures that are neither serpent nor dragon. Legend says that they were born fro mthe bowels of the earth, in fire and smoke.”  
  
Sir Plucki chimed in with this, saying “hence, their meaning: Fire Spitter.”  
  
“Qui, Qui, mon frère ainé.” Blastus smiled “And not an easy one to catch…”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Approximately 10 Years Before the First Gummi-Human War_**  
  
“Close.”  
  
Blastus and Gumlittle stayed their stallions at Plucki’s command. He paused and eyed them. “She’s close. The ground’s still warm from her feet.”  
  
“Qui and she’s charring everything she comes across.”  
  
No argument there. So far, they had passed quite a few forests, or what used to be forests, and found them more likely to resemble ash remains of a good bonfire. They had seen signs of animals fleeing which was some reassurance. The less causalities, the better. Thus far, there had been far too many deaths because of this creature and not just gummi: human, sprites of the woods, nymphs, all fallen victim to her senseless plague. There was no reasoning behind it. To gummies, there was never any reasoning for such mindless destruction but even an ill-fitting excuse would have been better than no excuse at all! This …there was no rationalization behind it, it was just senseless mayhem.  
  
Gumlittle worried him too.   
  
They had been traveling for days. Gumlittle had stopped to gather them some water. Since then, he had been oddly quiet, even for him. He was never one for a ton of conversation, at least not on a mission. He was all talk once they weren’t concentrating on a serious task but on a mission, especially one of such great importance, he was all business.   
  
As for Gumlittle, he was focused but he knew all too well that this fire spitter had done something to the water. He had not thought ahead before gathering the water, had no considered the possibility of her fire containing poison. It was slowly taking affect. He was in quite the pickle of a situation. If the pain became much worse, he would not be of any use to his brothers but at the same time, he could not afford to leave them.   
  
These thoughts couldn’t ponder long though because it seemed that the Fire Spitter was done playing around. The ground rumbled underneath their feet as the long, red, snake like creature erupted from beneath the stones in a surge of dark orange magma. She was large, at least the size of an average dragon, minus the wings. Her mouth dripped with liquid fire that melted anything it touched and eyes the color of dark black coal peered out from an emotionless face. A large forked tongue slinked out of her mouth, tasting the air as she selected her means of attack.  
  
And attack, she did.   
  
It was a frantic battle: swords and shields out, darting to and fro. The Fire Spitter was a quick one and one that could use the environment to her advantage. Into the earth and back out again, spewing lava and spitting her fire with each second. One such attack, caught the dazed Gumlittle off guard, knocking him from his unicorn and to the earth.  
  
Blastus turned from his battle and ran to his fallen comrade “mon ami!”  
  
“Go Blastus.” He told him “I’m in your way..”  
  
“Non! I refuse to leave you mon ami!”  
  
Blastus grasped his arm, muscling his way up so he supported his brother’s full weight. Gumlittle was tall and quite heavy compared to Blastus’ small form. However, the stubborn smaller gummi knight refused to relinquish his brother. Despite Gumlittle’s frantic and repeated cries to do so. As it was, his weight slowed Blastus enough that a second blast had charred one of his legs.   
  
“I said leave Sir Blastus. That’s an order from your Second in Command!”  
  
“And I said NON!” he repeated “Call it defiance and have me reprimanded later for it but I will not abandon you, Mon Frere! I will not!”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Sitting Room_**  
  
“You directly disobeyed an order?” Toni broke his silence to ask.  
  
Blastus laughed out loud “Qui, and it would not be the last time I did either.”  
  
The cubs stared. This did not make any sense. Wasn’t a knight supposed to obey orders? That was how things stayed in sync right? That was how battles were won right? Plucki chuckled light-heartedly at their baffled looks and offered his own input. “The goal of a knight, my boys, is to protect and serve, is it not?”  
  
Several nods and surprisingly, it was Cubbi, the newest of them that asked, “And that means protecting each other, right?”  
  
Plucki smiled at the young child. So young and yet so wise beyond his years at times. “Wisely said, my lad. A knight’s mission is to serve his people and his people always include his comrades.”  
  
“But..” Martinni chimed in “How…I mean, isn’t that how you stay focused and win battles? By following orders and stuff?”  
  
“Qui, Qui.” Blastus admitted. “But one thing you will learn mon enfant, as you train is when it is alright to disobey an order.” He set his sights on each of the boys in turn “it is a rare occasion but that is how we survive together as a unit. We are a constant check for each other. If need be, Gumlittle and myself can overturn one of Plucki’s commands, should we feel it is given in misjudgment.”  
  
Corvi understood that, somewhat. “Let me guess, if it’s given in an emotional fit or something, right?”  
  
Plucki smiled “That would be the most common reason, yes. Emotions can be a fuel or they can be a hindrance, depending on how they’re used.” Plucki eyed his middle brother, “Gumlittle’s a real good example of that in this particular story.”  
  
No shame in his eyes, Gumlittle instead let out a deep-throated laugh, “Ah, I’ll give you that one Plucki. I chock it up to old fashioned pride.”  
  
Plucki smiled and Blastus cut in, again addressing the boys, “And I know you all know the overall story of that, right?” he inquired. He got a few nods of the head and Corvi laughed a little,  
  
“You mean that fact that hubris never gets you anywhere but in big trouble but it seems to be something you acquire when you become a knight?”  
  
Plucki cut in here, the Gummadoon captain giving Corvi a raised eyebrow “Oh, hardly just a trait shared by knights, young Corvi. I have seen signs of it in all of  you.”  
  
Cubbi blinked. Hubris…well, that had to mean pride right? He was a bit baffled. “Uh…isn’t pride in yourself and what you can do a…good thing?”  
  
Plucki grinned down at his young squire and patted the hearth next to him, inviting the child up. Though a bit nervous, he got to his feet and sat by his mentor’s side. Plucki rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Indeed, and you should feel proud of yourself for the things you accomplish. But answer me this, young squire…when Gumlittle attempted to refuse aid as you just heard, was that a wise decision or not?”  
  
Cubbi felt a bit put on the spot but he felt he knew the answer to this pretty easily. “Uh uh.”  
  
Plucki gave a shrug, never taking his eyes off his charge “and why not?”  
  
Cubbi eyed Plucki, what kind of question was that?! “Well, he couldn’t really move very well and he woulda gotten killed.”  
  
Gumlittle, not feeling shame in calling attention to his own failings, addressed Cubbi directly “And answer me this, lad, was keeping the weakness the water had put on me a good move or a bad move?”  
  
Toni squirmed a bit but decided he didn’t want to leave Gumlittle’s lap. He liked it there. It made him feel safe and protected. He still felt like a little fool but hearing this, it eased his soul a little bit. The fact that even a knight like his mentor could fall victim to something, to need to aid of another, and that it was given so easily that he could have it addressed right here and now without shame…that was more aid to him than anything else. It didn’t completely convince him nor did it get rid of all the embarrassment he carried but it was great help.  
  
Toni eyed Cubbi, interested just as much as the others in what their newest partner had to say on Gumlittle’s little inquiry.  
  
Well, now on that one, Cubbi was stumped. He could pretty much see both sides to that! If Gumlittle had told, they may have fallen behind and not caught the crrature at all! Yet, because he didn’t tell when they did encounter it, he was a liability. That was kind of a double-edged sword, wasn’t it? He really didn’t know how to answer that question!   
  
Caught in the center of attention, yet with no answer he truly felt was reasonable, the cub felt the very edges of his cheek bones start to burn. He was blushing!   
  
Embarrassed by the fact that the others could see he was embarrassed, he covered his cheeks.   
  
A large arm jostled him a bit as Plucki pulled him into his side and gave his hair a gentle ruffle “Hey, there isn’t any judgment here, Cubbi. We ask you so we can both teach _AND_ learn. You boys often wind up teaching us a thing or two as well.”  
  
Cocking his head like a bird, he was taken aback. Him? What could he possibly have to teach? He didn’t have any huge adventures against terrible demons or anything like that. He hadn’t learned anything really...note-worthy that he was aware of.  
  
“Well, tell us one, mon ami.” Blastus chimed in on the boy’s thoughts. Cubbi turned, facing him, almost turning so quickly his head throbbed. “Qui, tell us one of your stories.”  
  
Him? What stories could he possibly have to tell that could match THAT? Actually, wait a minute…  
  
He gave his captain a coy grin “You guys never told us if you won or not.” He said with a low laugh.   
  
Plucki laughed aloud and looked at Blastus, saying “Well, it’s a pretty anti-climatic ending to be perfectly honest. But, since cubs’ curiosity will not rest until it’s said, go ahead Blastus.”  
  
Sitting back, Blastus took a sip of tea and replied “Qui…not much to say, mon ami. We got Gumlittle to a safe place and he commented that fire and water didn’t seem a good combination. We chased her a short ways, ambushed her around the edge of a cliff and she drowned in the sea.”  
  
There was a round of “awww” from their audience of cubs and Plucki and his brothers couldn’t help another deep hearty laugh. “Boys, we LIKE anti-climatic. Less danger that way.”  
  
“But doesn’t sound nearly as neat.” Cubbi informed his mentor.   
  
Corvi joined the other boys in a small laugh in agreement but then asked “So, Cubbi, what about what Blastus asked? You have stories too, right?”  
  
“Nothin THAt good!” he protested and Corvi smirked.  
  
“We ALL tell stories here, Cubbi. We’ve heard each other’s’ for a few years. We’ve never heard one of yours.”  
  
“yeah!” Martinni spoke out, sitting up right. “Tell us one of yours, Cubbi.”  
  
His? Well, what did he have that could be interesting. Most of his adventurous ones were either A) too childish or B) too embarrassing. What was one that wouldn’t make him look stupid or babyish? He thought a moment then looked at his mentor, wincing. Plucki just gave him a smile, “lad, come now. Part of this night is to build our bonds with one another, through each other’s tales. Each of your comrades will have their own to tell before the night is over and done.”  
  
Swell…uh… “Can I think for a minute then?’  
  
Now to that, Plucki would cave. He nodded “Now that is a reasonable request. Boys, why don’t you take this time to take your dishes to the kitchen and grab a sweet if you so desire.”  
  
With the clatter of plates and pattering of feet, the cubs jostled about, talking to each other as they went. Amid the commotion, Toni reached up and tapped his mentor’s shoulder. “I…think I’m ready now.”  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane’s Castle**_  
  
Impossible!  
  
This blasted body was nearly impossible to move! It was like moving through some sort of sticky molasses to get it to do anything beyond the basic functions! It was a puppet that did not obey its master!  
  
Frustrated, she had returned to her own body and swiftly let out her frustrations on her nearest troggel. She refused to be defeated by the reanimated corpse of a blasted child.  
  
Slamming her fist against her mirror in frustration and anger, she paused. The clean smooth glass was cold.  
  
Now, not that such a thing was unusual in most palaces but hers was always kept in the utmost condition. She would tolerate no drafts amid her walls. Such trivial things were easily repaired by the proper spells and incantations. However, it was not the room itself that was cold. No, it was simply the glass itself.  
  
Then, she heard it.   
  
A sound that sent chills down her spine. She shuddered involuntarily at it. It whistled and whisked through her ears like the distant mourning call of a phantasm. It crunched like frozen leaves would crumble under a heavy toed boot. It echoed like a lost child’s wail through a thunderous sea.  
  
And it laughed at her.  
  
Lady Bane shivered, despite being the most feared sorceress around. She knew beyond a doubt that she was being watched from afar by a presence far more evil, far more feared, than she could ever become. She wouldn't touch the mirror but used her magic to flip it face-down on the bureau. The Dark Sorceress silently commanded her puppet gummi out of the room and set about removing or covering every mirror in her entire castle. Never once did she look on her own beautiful reflection while on this treacherous task, and she did it all herself and without speaking, for fear that she who saw out might take over one of her Troggles -- or perhaps even her own body.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Sitting Room_ **  
  
All eyes on him, Cubbi gulped. "Uh..."  
"Come now, lad. From what I heard from that Gruffi fellow last we spoke, you can spin us a tale or two," Sir Gumlittle prodded, leaning over to poke at the pink-furred cub playfully.  
  
He did. He had a story right now that was horrible and wonderful and terrible and frightening and he couldn't say a word of it yet. Not yet. It wasn't the right time. And... It'd destroy this wonderful evening if he mentioned HER name now. "Well, uh... I mean, I've had a few adventures, I guess. Not like YOURS! Well, except for that big fight with every bad guy I've ever known in my life. That was pretty bad. But you guys know about that..."   
  
Cubbi trailed off, seeing a few of his fellows nod. Sometimes a story that fresh was too close to home. Couldn't go on about that one either. "Um, okay, sometimes it got really boring being the only kid at Gummi Glen and Sunni -- that's the girl at Gummi Glen -- Well, me and her were really bored one day and we got this magic flute out..."   
  
As Cubbi retold the story of the dragon he and Sunni flew on and caused a bad day for Duke Igthorn, he relaxed. It was a great story cuz it didn't have death or near death in it. It was just a good story. At the end, he was surprised by the questions brought up by his peers.  
  
"Sir Plucki says you and the others were the only gummies in the Glen for years. How'd you live all alone like that?" Corvi seemed oddly interested in this.  
  
"Well, we had each other, but the adults really missed having everyone around. They worried about us cubs because sooner or later that would mean we'd be the only ones there. We found another gummi like that. Or, he found us." Cubbi, grinning, told them of Chummi and his airship and how they almost sailed across the sea to their gummi cousins. But if they'd done that, they'd never have been here to see Gummadoon. This story also entranced everybody. Even Sirs Plucki, Gumlittle, and Blastus looked interested, having not heard that one.  
  
"We should probably use our gummi scope to locate where this Chummi has landed. Let him know you have more company than your ears can take now," Sir Plucki commented with a grin.  
  
"That'd be great. He was pretty lonely. Pretty disappointed that we were the only ones at Gummi Glen. South Gumpton was also abandoned. And now that the Barbics have their Barbic Woods back, Ursalia's pretty empty, too." Cubbi added.  
  
"Which reminds me to bring it up with the Council. The Ursalians might want to know the state of things at present, and we might have need of their specialties sometime in the near future," Sir Plucki said as an aside to Sir Blastus and Sir Gumlittle.   
  
His brother knights nodded. A rather solemn nod. Cubbi wondered what that was all about.  
  
The other squires and pages had a few more questions but the youngest were starting to nod off. Plucki decreed it was time to sleep and they were lulled by the occasional knight humming some tune as he poked at the fire.   
  


* * *

  
_**Tavi's Room**_  
  
Tavi slept fitfully in her bed. She was plagued by nightmares which should could not tell were sent by Emi or conjured by her own scared mind. Or perhaps it was the medallions. Who knew! Waking in her own cold sweat, Tavi got up and paced, unwilling to lay her head on her pillow any more. She stared out at the courtyard, darkness filling everything. No trace of light yet. She wondered how long until dawn. How long until answers could be gained? How long until some inner rest could be achieved?  
  
She pondered exploring the Great Book some on her own a moment. It was risky though. Her aunt would be in soon to make sure she was up for the day. Once the palace began to awake then, well, then the library would be a hot place, as it usually was. It seemed that it was even more so now. The adults were scurrying about like ants, some grabbing research books, some looking at old maps. She didn’t know for sure but she was certain that they were looking for the same reason she and Cubbi and Corvi were.  
  
Kicking off her covers, she sat up. No point in trying to fool herself into sleep. It simply wasn’t happening. Still, what more could she do right now? It was still too early for her to be wandering around. If one of the adults saw her that would inevitably lead to questions and she didn’t think she could come up with proper responses right now. If she managed to get into the library and to the Great Book…well, all the info on Emi had been written in Old Gummi. Logic told her that any additional information would likely be recorded the same way. She would need Corvi to translate it and he was in the main sitting room with the other squires right now.   
  
Flopping back on her bed, she sighed heavily. This not-being-able-to-do-anything was driving her completely insane! It was bad enough that she was getting a limited amount of sleep. Then, throw in the inability to do anything about it and you had the makings for extreme frustration. Her head was starting to hurt already.  
  
Well, maybe…there was a chance she could start wondering around, trying to find other ways into Merlinni’s old chambers. There was the main door yes but Gummadoon was ripe with old forgotten passage ways. She could always try wandering those and see what she stumbled upon, couldn’t she? It wasn’t an ideal answer to the current issue but at least it was better than lying here on the bed and remaining frustrated! The only problem she saw with it was that Gummadoon was full of so many twists and turns that it would be fairly easy to lose her way. Still, she reasoned she could always find a door leading back out into the main halls. Besides, she was the explorer/adventurer type!  
  
Her mind made up, the girl walked to her closet and pulled on some clothes before venturing out into the hallway and into the nearest hidden doorway, disappearing with nary a sound.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
It was the smell of cooking foods that roused the younger boys out of their sleep, Cubbi included. He sat up, stretching slightly. Looking around the room, he found that he’d been covered up with a rich blanket when he had fallen asleep though he found he couldn’t remember when exactly that had been. He saw like pallets scattered about the room, some still occupied, and others empty. It looked like Toni and Corvi were already up but Martinni and Flynn were still sleeping. Faint lights were on in the room, just low lit lamps.  
  
Standing, Cubbi rubbed his eyes a moment to attempt to extinguish the sleep still clinging to them. The smells were coming from the nearby kitchen and it sure sounded like that’s where the early risers had gathered. Yep, at closer range now, he could hear Plucki and Blastus and what sounded like Corvi. No sound of Gumlittle though if Toni was awake, he must have been nearby.  
  
The boy pushed open the door to the kitchen, emerging into the brilliant lit room with only a  faint squint of his eyes in rejection to the change in brightness. His suspicions turned out to be correct. Blastus and Corvi were working at the stove and counters, which was where those alien but oh-so-good scents were originating from. Sir Plucki was seated at a nearby table, sipping some hot tea. The threesome turned at the entry of Cubbi.  
  
Plucki gave a good hearted chuckle “Oh, good morning sleepyhead.”  
  
Cubbi blinked but asked “How late is it?” as he took a seat by the Gummadoon Captain, pulling himself up into the chair. Plucki gave the lad a hand up and then smirked as Corvi turned from his position by the counter   
  
“Plucki’s teasin’” the teen assured the younger boy. “It’s only half after eight.”  
  
Blastus smirked “Qui, qui…it is a rare day when the teenager arouses before the little ones.”  
  
Corvi gave Blastus a half annoyed look then dodged the hand that reached out to ruffle his hair. He hadn’t gotten dressed yet, as was the usual fare with a rest week. Breakfast came first then clean up and dressing before heading out for the day. He hadn’t been able to sleep very late, his mind awash with thoughts and fears and guilt. He needed to get back to his brothers soon. Hopefully, today would offer him an opportunity.   
  
In any event, when the three knights had come through the sitting room, he’d been wide awake. Though they had initially asked him if he had been having difficulty sleeping, he had quickly squashed their concerns by asking if he could help Blastus with breakfast. That in itself was enough to rid them of their concerns.  
  
Toni had aroused not long after Corvi and Blastus had begun cooking, about an hour ago. His hands were still unable to grasp. Gumlittle had taken him off into a separate room to tend to him and give him some food before the others awoke. Corvi and Blastus were being careful to prepare some foods that Toni could eat on his own, as well.  
  
Corvi smirked lightly at Cubbi who was sniffing at all the alien smells. It was pretty funny actually, made him look like some kind of pink mouse, trying to sift out bread crumbs. “Smells good, huh, Cubbi?”  
  
Cubbi’s ears twitched and he grinned “I dunno what it is but it smells reaaaaalllly good.”  
The teen gave a light-hearted laugh “that’d be the crepes.”  
  
Cubbi blinked “What’s a crepe?”  
  
Corvi blinked then he beamed, widely, feeling like laughing for the first time in days “Oh, you’re going to love them…”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Towers_**  
  
Well, one thing was certain.   
  
Cubbi HAD loved the breakfast. It had been rich, sweet, flaky and buttery and oh-so-good! Most of the foods he hadn’t recognized at all. Still, you didn’t need much instruction on how to eat something. The tongue and belly usually figured that out quickly. Anything his belly had been unable to figure out, Corvi and the other boys had swiftly showed him.  
Toni had even managed to eat some of them on his own, though he did it by lifting them to his mouth. Apparently, that wasn’t the proper way to eat them but Toni’s hands could not grip just yet. So, he had slipped one palm under the crepe and lifted it up and ate it that way, despite how much sauce that had gotten on his hands. Evidently, the crepes had a good enough flavor that Toni didn’t care about decorum or appearance.   
  
Now, Cubbi had never eaten a crepe so he had mimicked Toni.   
  
Martinni had thought that Cubbi was doing it so that Toni didn’t feel so bad or embarrassed and thought it was sweet so he had copied Cubbi to cut down on the embarrassment.  
  
Flynn had followed suit.  
  
Blastus had been too busy laughing to really care. The other two knights had seemed to catch on to what Martinni had assumed and had thought it a truly heart-felt gesture, perhaps not appropriate for praise but certainly not in need of criticism.  
  
Cubbi paused at the stairs, waiting. Sir Plucki had said he would meet him here and take him up to use their Gummiscope before they went on their trips for the day. The other knights had split up with their squires, as they had the previous day. Cubbi was ecstatic. Once again, one on one time with Sir Plucki! And on top of that, he maybe would get to find out how Chummi was doing!  
  
“Beat me here, did you, lad?”  
  
Cubbi gave his captain a simple smile as he turned a corner and met up with the smaller gummi. “Yeah, I only got lost once this time!”  
  
Plucki gave one of his deep hearty chuckles. Cubbi loved to hear those laughs. He really didn’t know why but he loved it. Same reason he liked to hear anyone laugh, told him they were happy. He wanted Plucki happy. He wanted Plucki safe. Maybe it was a little weird, considering that the Gummadoon Captain had probably fought in more wars and battles than Cubbi could even hope to imagine but all the same, he wanted him safe. It was the same kind of fear he had felt for Zummi when they had gone after Zorlock. The same desire as when he had seen Thornberry in the cage when they first met Lady Bane.  
  
“This way, lad.”  
  
Forcing those thoughts from his head, the cub turned, trotting after Plucki as he led the way up a set of spiraled stairs. Cubbi’s feet made a small faint echo as he took three fast strides for each of his mentor’s. It wasn’t that high up and before too long, they emerged onto the top of the tower. Not much up here. It was primarily set aside for the Gummiscope.  
  
Cubbi, despite having seen two other Gummiscopes already, was always cast into awe when he saw it loom over his head. He followed Plucki but stared over the vastness that was one of the Great Gummies’ greatest accomplishments. This one was a little different though. The ones near the Glen and Ursalia had grown rusted and aged over the centuries but this one was still sparkling, like it was brand new.  
  
“Now, lad.” Plcuk itold the tiny child as they walked to the operation manel, “Do you have any ideas where he may had tried to land?”  
  
Cubbi paused, thinking. “Well, when he came along, we had just lost our Gummiscope.”  
Plucki raised a brow at that. He recalled the boy speaking of that briefly though he never went into deep detail on it. It baffled the Captain. How could a Gummiscope had been lost? They were great marvels of engineering and usually quite well concealed.   
  
Still, it was a topic to be addressed at a later point. Perhaps it was a tale the boy could relish them with that eve but for the moment, he listened to the boy’s response.  
“But before we did, we’d found out that there were still gummies in New Gumbrea.” He eyed Plucki “So, that’s where he had headed. But ,didn’t they come over here when the other war broke out?” he asked, his ears perked.  
  
Plucki smiled “A great many of them did, yes, lad. Perhaps your Chummi remained behind or he may have moved onto nearby cities. At any event, it is worth asking, isn’t it?” He gave the boy a small wink. “If he was as bubbly as you make him out to be, then someone ought to have an idea of where he had ended up, yes?”  
  
Cubbi nodded, his eyes wide. Oh, so much he wanted to tell Chummi. Like…like…he was training under THE Great Sir Plucki! Like he was finally making his dream come true! Like…like…so many million-bajillion-trillion things had happened since he last saw him!   
Cubbi stood on his tiptoes as Sir Plucki adjusted the scope to locate New Gumbrea. There were lots more cities on this scope, maybe they had a bigger range or had known of where the other ships were going or somethin’ like that. In any event, Plucki sent an initial message out and sure enough, they got a response back.  
  
Turning to his small squire, Plucki gently lifted the boy up so he could see the panel. “What do you want to ask Cubbi? I want you to send it.”  
  
“Me?”  
  
Plucki chuckled “You’re the only other one up here, aren’t you?”  
  
The boy nodded, staring at the panel. The symbols were alien to him but even the codes to the symbols were alien to him. He wasn’t a really good reader…  
  
“Well…I…you know I can’t read really good Plucki.” He reminded his captain again.  
The knight nodded, responding “And there is no better cure for that than to practice every chance that presents itself. I’ll help you Cubbi but I want you to do it.”  
Nervously, the boy read over the codes and slowly recited to Plucki what he wanted to ask. Three times the knight had to correct his spelling but it was never with malice, just the gentle patience that Cubbi had learned was reminiscent of Plucki.  
  
The message itself turned out quite long; as Cubbi wanted to be sure he got the right gummi so he was insistent on giving as much information as he could. Plucki let the boy tap the code out himself though Cubbi would always turn to him right after he had sent a word, saying “That’s right, right?”  
  
Thus, it was a lengthy message and time consuming, about an hour in fact passed before Cubbi ended his message. He slid down from Plucki’s grip and the two of them just waited for the message to received and responded to.  
  
The standing and waiting made Cubbi think. What would Chummi think of everything that had transpired? Had he done well since they parted? Had he made a life for himself in New Gumbrea?   
  
A life…was that at risk now too? A nasty little voice inside his head asked him. What with the threat of Emi?   
  
A bit unnerved, the cub was silent a long moment, pondering as he watched the Gummiscope shimmering in the light. Remembering how his clan’s scope had ended up, he turned to Plucki “Sir Plucki?”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“Why did they make this thing a weapon?”  
  
Plucki paused, stunned and baffled then turned and looked at the cub “A weapon?”  
  
The cub met the elder gummi’s eyes and repeated the rhyme from his old book: “It can harness the sunlight and send out a stream that can send off a message or burn with its beam.” Suddenly, the boy looked almost desperate “Why did we make something so…” he tried to think of a word that described it best but what came out was “..cruel?”


	21. Chapter 21

Sir Plucki thought on his answer before giving it. "Sometimes, young Sir Knight, a thing is invented with unintended consequences. We gummies may be smart but we can't foresee everything. Take the medallions for example." It tumbled past his lips before he realized it was the worst example to make at this given time.  
  
Cubbi's eyes rounded at how pale his mentor got. And he could guess why. Still, he pressed. "What about the medallions?"  
  
"That's... a story for another day. Let's just see if there's a response."  
  
Cubbi didn't want to let it rest. This was the opportunity he was looking for. Only a few things could possibly scare Sir Plucki. Emi was one of them. The whole medallion thing had to do with her, he bet. He opened his mouth but the tikka tikka of the working mechanical hand paused him as it delivered its message from New Gumbrea.  
  
"Well? Try sounding it out. What's it say?" Plucki asked.  
  
Forced to examine the text, he couldn't bring up the matter just yet. Sigh. He sighed for real at trying his luck at reading again. The message was not short. After several messed-up words, he got through the whole thing. Chummi had been to New Gumbrea and was gone but he'd picked up two gummies there who wanted to travel with him to do a proper census of all the gummi folks left still and it said also that he'd be by Gummi Glen and Gummadoon eventually to drop them by for their turn and to catch up on news.  
  
"Okay. Time to head back, Sport. Let's go see what the others are up to."  
  
Cubbi followed Sir Plucki all the way, trying in the silence to come up with a good way to insert his queries about Emi. He failed.  
  
Everyone had gone out to the courtyard. Plucki and Cubbi found the others awaiting them.  
  
"Bout time," Gumlittle joked. "Time for a field excursion." And, a hand on quiet Toni's back, the big gummi knight led the way out of the city entirely.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon's Hidden Inner Self**_  
  
Tavi knew her aunt was probably looking for her by now. She'd taken too long in the hidden passages. But she just couldn't leave yet. She felt she was actually getting somewhere. And not just because she learned she could make the gold streaks in her hair glow if she wanted them to. Boy, did that shed some light for her to move around by! No, it wasn't just that. She really felt like she was getting very close to something. Just a little further...  
  
The cub was at present squeezing between two wall columns and wondering how any adult could possibly get back here when she noticed a faint bit of light just ahead. It looked like any other crack of light she'd seen on this excursion but she vowed to check them all. Namely because she wasn't sure exactly where she was each time she came across one.  
  
She didn't normally get lost in Gummadoon but being on the inside and looking for secret rooms and passages left her guessing where exactly she was in relation to all known rooms. She didn't feel lost and knew she could simply backtrack or exit from one of these points in order to leave the secret passages but she was tired of nothing getting accomplished. Risking punishment, risking scaring her aunt, Tavi pressed on toward the crack of light.  
  
The passage door was small, narrow, and suspiciously cub-sized. It was also locked but from her side. She used the power of the medallions inside her to call the rusted iron lock open, pulled the antique away from the door latch, and lifted it to take a peek.  
  
The room within wasn't lit aside from Tavi's hair streaks. The eerie glow cast weird shadows about the old abode. It sent a little chill down the cub's back but she dropped the short way to the dust-covered floor and began exploring.  
  
This was once a cub's secret room. It had really old toys and children's books and drawings. It looked like it had been used by more than one cub. It looked REALLY old. The crudely made bed was rotting, the wood having not been dipped in the special preserving solution gummies usually used. There was a little bookcase with only two shelves which housed most of the toys and books. A nightstand held a candle and holder, long since burned to the puddlewick. The bedding was bug-eaten but she could tell it was once bright red cloth. And on the wall, written in chalk, were three names. On the bottom was Destini. On were two names side by side: Merlinni and Emari.   
  
Emari... Never heard that name before, thought Tavi. She continued her search.  
  
She found, under the bed, a beat-up journal but it didn't look ancient like the rest of the place. Tavi could feel a magic spell on it to keep the bugs away and the creeping yellow of age. Someone wanted this book protected. The cub's mind raced with excitement. She flipped the book open and sat on the floor to read it in eager anticipation.  
  
The book had no title whatsoever, nor anything on the first page except for the names Merlinni and Emari. Tavi turned to the next page. Blank. The next? Also blank. She flipped through the entire thing and not a word was written in it. On the last page was a weird picture or symbol that she couldn't read or define.  
  
"Well, book, what are you protected for if you don't have anything inside?" she asked no one in particular. Who'd answer? No one even knew of this place anymore.   
  
Tavi was about to put the book back under the bed when she noted a faint glow coming from within. Quickly, she opened it. She saw the last traces of glow around words that appeared just as it faded. The glow left but the words remained.   
  
It read:  
  
 **Much lies within for they who are worthy of knowing.**  
  
Tavi stared long on the words. Was that an answer to her question or did they just take time to appear? She tried another query. "Well, how do I become worthy? I need answers."  
  
The glow came again, a dim rosy hue, and then the words appeared below the first set.   
  
**There is no becoming. You are or are not. What do you believe?**  
  
"You're a book and you're asking ME questions? Well, I believe that anyone truly needing answers should have access to that knowledge. So if you got it, spill it! And by the way, talking to a book is really weird."  
  
A brief glow and short message: **Hahah.**  
  
"And getting laughed at by one! Don't DO that! It's creepy! What are you? Are you locked inside the book just so you can answer questions?"  
  
The words came again: **No. I am a book. I am a copy of the knowledge of Wizard Merlinni Gummi.**  
  
"Okay, Book, it's nice meeting you but can we get to some answers? What is this place? Who's Emari? And is this where Merlinni stored all he knew about Emi Gummi?"  
  
The book didn't answer her for a while. Tavi started to feel really silly talking to a book but kept looking at the previous responses to confirm that she wasn't going crazy. It really was writing responses at her. After many long moments of counting to twenty, Tavi was about to ask again or put it down or shake it or something when it started glowing brightly. Words filled the first page, and the glow travelled to the next page where more words followed. Tavi read as quickly as she could.  
  
 **This room was created by Merlinni and Emari as cubs so they might have a place to go whenever they wanted to practice magic away from adults or whenever they wanted a place to go when sad. Emari and Merlinni were close friends. Emari moved away to Gummi Glen when she fell for a gummi lad there. Merlinni remained in Gummadoon and later told his pupil, Destini, about the room but that she must find it on her own. This is how cubs find their way to this room.**  
  
 **Why do you seek knowledge of Emi?**  
  
Tavi blinked at the question, still absorbing the history lesson. "I... I think she's been trying to contact me or get out or something. I wouldn't be digging through cobwebby secret passages if I didn't need answers, Book."  
  
It again waited before responding. **How could Emi escape her prison?**  
  
"Don't ask me. I don't even know what the Gummadoon council did with her. Look, I know this is scary stuff and you're trying to protect me but if she really can get out I need to know all the details. I've fought really bad people before. I do magic and even have access to Gummi medallions inside me. Destini's dead. I contacted her spirit and she said to look for answers in Merlinni's old study so here I am. Will you tell me about Emi's trial now?" She was being very open and forward with the book, and maybe a little stern, but she wasn't about to be talked to like a little kid by some old book who didn't know a thing about her.  
  
After a long pause, the glow came and was followed by many more pages of words.  
  
 **Emari was Emi Gummi's mother and where she got her strong magical inclination from. Emari did not live to see Emi's second birthday. Her father died in an attempt to find curative herbs to save Emari's life. Emi was raised by her aunt who thought that magic for a cub so young was inappropriate. Emi desired to learn more to become closer to her mother in a spiritual sense. Merlinni tried reasoning with her aunt to allow him tutelage of the cub but she declined. Emi harbored resentment toward her aunt and also the other magi who held such knowledge but could or would not share it with her. She felt deeply alone and outcast and fell into a depression she hid with silence and appearing to accept her aunt's wishes. Then, one day, everything changed.**  
  
 **It is not known for certain when or how but Emi Gummi became crazed and designed a plot to kill her fellow gummies and acquire as much magical power as she could and by any means necessary. She killed the magihistorian of Gummi Glen and took her medallion. She killed her young cousin next and many more gummies before leaving. When she came for the magical power within Gummadoon, she was eventually trapped, captured, and put on trial. Do you want the full record of the trial or a summary?**  
  
"Let's start with the summary."  
  
 **There was never any doubt of Emi's guilt. Many witnesses to her horrible actions remained. What the trial determined was that they could not cure her at the time, nor could they kill her. Gummies by nature do not harm one another. This was the quandry. The trial was strung out over many weeks as the Gummadoon council tried to determine what had caused Emi's madness. Emi escaped once during this time and was recaptured again. She was found to be too dangerous at present and imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time in a magical prison from which she had no chance of escaping. Or so it was believed. Are you certain Emi has been reaching out to you?**  
  
"Pretty certain. Destini was, too. What else can you tell me about the trial?" Tavi began to suspect that all their searching for a key was meaning just a symbolic key. Someone worthy of asking this book for the transcripts for the trial. And if this book had all the answers she needed to take to the council, she was gonna find out.  
  
 **The entire trial is transcripted within. Shall I show you its entirety?**  
  
"Yeah. Please."  
  
The trial began with the reading of a message from the gummies of Gummi Glen...  
  
 **We write these notes on our lost gummi sister with heavy hearts. So much hurt has invaded these halls and we cast the full blame on our own hearts. We beseech our fellow gummies to approach our gummi kin with mercy in their hearts. There was much that we should have done, had we seen the signs. We do not know what drove her to such darkness but we pray with hope in our hearts that time will heal her soul, so weighed down with anger and hate.**  
  
 **We could not but bind her with the fullest of our power and magic and love. We bound her with the very medallions she consumed in the once-heart of the place she was born, in the hopes that it will help heal her, remind her of who she was before all of the madness. Please, Gum, let our sister come back to us.**  
  
 **May Gum remind her of the greatest joy that is life! Time is a gift with the curse of the bind. May we allow time to heal her!**   
  
**In these journals presented during the trial, we hide nothing that she has done. We just ask that you all, our dearest gummi sisters and brothers, remember that Emi Gummi is also a gummi sister. We throw ourselves out with pleas of leniency. Never before has one of our own been on trial for murder. Never before has one of our own come before us and we question if she should remain living for her crimes. She is contained. Ending her life is no mercy. It would torture us all. We gummies forgive, but we do not forget. Let us remember this above all things as we weigh our decisions and cast our vote on the fate and life of Emi Gummi.**  
  
 **The Gummies of Gummi Glen, [868 AD]**  
  
  
Tavi continued reading, losing all track of time. After the trial had spilled out before her in a great many pages of words, she sat in silence and debated what she should do. Destini told her to take the transcripted trial to the council because they'd need it but whe she'd read... They'll be too busy trying to figure out if Emi's escaping to pay attention to her own worries. For now, she'd just take the book back to her room. Tavi stood, brushed off her rear, and headed for the unmusty and familiar common hallways of Gummadoon.  
  
She'd just checked whether anyone was coming or going in the hall where she was to emerge when a tawny hand grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her from the secret entrance behind a tapestry.   
  
"Gum, you've scared us!" her aunt Toffi griped, her eyes wide with anger and anxiety. "We've searched high and low for you! What did you think you were doing?"  
  
"Uh..." Caught off guard, she glanced at the book. "I--"  
  
"Enough of this, Tavi. You can't be sneaking off to play little adventures. These are serious times and I've no time for games!" her aunt said as she led Tavi back to her room. "You are to stay in your room until supper. I thought you had more responsibility in you. Instead I find you sneaking around the hidden passages of Gummadoon, making us sick with worry!"  
  
"But, Aunt Toffi, I found this book and it--"  
  
The elder sighed mightily. "Tavi, I am glad we found you safe but I simply don't have time for an old story. Into your room. I'll come collect you for supper and you had better not leave until I do."  
  
As her aunt started away, Tavi continued to try and get her to listen. "Aunt Toffi, wait!" What could be going on that would make her aunt so distraught and needing to rush off, even after finding her wayward niece?

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sick Bay**_  
  
Councilor Wooddale sighed mightily before composing herself and entering the room where a huddled Karleni sat. Sarrani was beside her with a mug of something hot, trying to get the poor gummi woman to drink.  
  
Councilor Berrybottom turned a worried face her way. "Did you find her?"  
  
"Yes. But I don't believe my young niece is ready for this yet. If we must determine whether Karleni was touched by Emi or some other force then it must be by ourselves. The child is behaving rather recklessly of late. The less she is involved with any knowledge of Emi Gummi, the better."

* * *

  
 _ **Forest Outside Gummadoon**_  
  
Cubbi looked to and fro with the rest of his fellow pages and squires. They'd been tasked with trying to track the knights down, or as best they could. This would be followed by some one-on-one time back inside Gummadoon's grounds but the knights said it was important for the boys to get out into nature on this beautiful day. Cubbi had no complaints there. His fellows, however...  
  
"This is too hard," Martinni whined. "I'm no good at trackin'."  
  
"C'mon, Marti. They made it a little easy for us, too." Corvi reasoned. "See? That mud up ahead has all their tracks in it."  
  
Mud. Cubbi grinned at the sudden crazy thought in his head. He wandered farther ahead toward the mud as the others coaxed and coached the younger cubs on their tracking skills. He was starting to put his plan into action when Flynn raced up to him and said, "Let's play a game!"  
  
Corvi remarked "Like what? No hide and seek or nothin' that's boring..."  
  
Cubbi pondered this a moment "You guys know Name?"  
  
"Name?" Flynn remarked. "No."  
  
"Cavin taught it to me. You take people's names and twist them around."  
  
Corvi eyed him "Hmm...like how?"  
  
Cubbi thought a minute "Well, like...Corvi Norvi Bip Boom Lorvi. Dorvi Torvi Rip Room Corvi!"  
  
Martinni giggled. "Do me, do me!"  
  
"Martinni Tartinni Tip Toom Kartinni. Gartinni Sartinni Fip Oon Martinni!" Cubbi winced "yer name's hard!"  
  
Martinni just beamed. "Cubbi Subbi Nip Noom Bubbi. Lubbi Wubbi Lip Loom Cubbi!"  
  
Flynn squealed "Now me, now me!"  
  
Thus, it became an odd song that permeated the forest air. With words some known and some not, the squires took to chasing one another about, each one calling and making up different names and when they ran out of names, they used anything they saw: trees, birds, acorns, mud.  
  
Speaking of mud...  
  
"Corvi!"  
  
The teen whirled around to get a bomb of mud right in the face. Cubbi fell onto his back laughing. Toni covered his mouth, the first time in a while they'd seen the cub smile. "Corvi, it's an improved look!"  
  
"Cubbi..."  
  
Now, Corvi was usually a very well mannered cub mind you. Heck, Blastus said multiple times that Corvi needed to grow down instead of grow up. He acted far too mature for his liking.  
  
But Corvi was still a cub and a boy at that. His skills had been challenged.  
  
Scooping up a small handful of mud, he slammed his aim right at Cubbi who ducked and the mudball named Toni. "hey!"  
  
Toni threw his own.  
  
It hit Martinni.  
  
Martinni's hit Flynn.  
  
An all out mud war was on!  
  
Cubbi knocked the most mud around, being an expert at it. Toni wasn't too bad either, sending Corvi face down into the nearby mud puddles by jumping on his back. Martinni was nervous at first but before long found himself targeting Flynn.  
  
Corvi drew up a messy handful and threw it. Cubbi ducked and it soared right over his head, meeting an unintended target.  
  
"Garçons ! Que faites-vous ?"  
  
Corvi looked up, as the boys froze in mid romp.  
  
Sir Blastus wiped the mud off his face as Plucki and Gumlittle came up behind him. Oh what a scene they came upon. Toni and Cubbi could only be detected by their smaller sizes. Flynn was oddly clean on the face and Martinni and Corvi looked like a bunch of mud monsters, their hair streaming down like tentacles.  
  
Plucki,  inwardly was deeply amused and even happy, thought it would be fun to make the boys sweat a little. "And what are we doing, squires?"  
  
The group looked at each other. Cubbi remained unfazed. He knew that gleam, the gleam one got when they were secretly deeply entertained. He looked up, wiped the mud away so he could see his eyes. "We're practicing."  
  
"Practicing what, mon ami?"  
  
Toni spoke up, jumping up. "We were attacking the monster!"  
  
Gumlittle chuckled, "What monster?"  
  
Flynn spoke out, "The monster that lives in the mud!"  
  
"yeah!" Martinni chimed in "It comes out and eats damsels!"  
  
"So we're doing our job and protecting them!" Corvi laughed, pulling his hair back a bit. Blastus raised at brow at Corvi.  
  
"Corvus?"  
  
"Yes, Sir Blastus?" he asked, nervously.  
  
A mound of mud nailed him in the face and he was slammed into the mud and Blastus gave him a sleek grin before pushing Flynn down too "And you didn't alert us?"  
  
Toni beamed and leapt onto Sir Blastus' back, pushing him down into the mud. Blastus threw a wad at the boy who ducked, letting it hit Gumlittle. Gumlittle not about to take that lying down, nor about to pass up a chance to play-bond with his squires, charged in, nailing three boys at once, his little brother among them.  
  
Through all this, Cubbi stared. Oh, he'd gotten Tummi and Sunni to play like this but...never the adults...not often.  
  
"Yie!" he went sailing face down, landing in the cool mud. He whirled around to see his attacker and found Sir Plucki, knee deep in the mud with him, laughing.  
  
"Keep up your guard, young squire."  
  
Cubbi stared for a moment before squealing and launching himself, mud and all, right into Plucki's chest, using his momentum to send the Gummadoon Captain onto his back in the mud before landing his mud coated hands into the knight's beard and hair.  
  
"Practice what you preach, Sir Plucki!"

* * *

  
  
Oh, they were a sight, walking back to Gummadoon. None of them truly abashed for their mud play but still quite the sight. As they neared the gates of Gummadoon, two guards stared in shock and rushed toward their knight-captain.  
  
"Er..." Martinni gulped.  
  
"Don't worry, lad. We'll handle this." Sir Gumlittle said, striding forward to meet the pair of distressed guardss.  
  
"What in Gum's name happened out there?" one of the two guards asked, his mouth agape.  
  
Sir Gumlittle cleared his throat and found he was flanked by his fellows, his brothers-in-arms, just as filthy as he was.  
  
"Nothing we couldn't handle." Plucki responded, holding a smirk.  
  
"Oui. Just a bit of trouble with some local mud monsters." Blastus added.  
  
The other guard narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And what about them?"  
  
"Oh, they were of the utmost assistance, having spotted the mud monsters long before we'd have known. We came upon them locked in fierce combat, defending the outskirts of Gummadoon. Come along, squires. Time to get the residue of battle off your hides." Sir Plucki stoically led the boys on.  
  
Sir Gumlittle muffled a chuckle.  
  
One guard turned to the other. "Mud monsters?"  
  
The other guard shrugged.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi’s Room_**  
  
Tavi had not moved very much since her aunt had banished her to her room. She was frustrated, frightened and stressed. Every speck of her being screamed to deliver this book to her Aunt instantly. However, her logic also dictated that something else, something big, must be at work for her aunt to dismiss her so readily upon finding her.   
She eyed the book in her hands. It had gone silent since she had closed it.   
  
She was not really keen on the idea of addressing the things she had found inside it again. They had given her the willies, the creeps and any other word that meant a shiver up and down your spine that shook you to the core. She had understood some of it, though some of it was in the old language and it had been logged as such. In fact, all of Emi’s logs had been in Old Gummi. She had asked the Book to translate it but all it had done was repeat the logs again.  
  
Apparently, Old Gummi was Emi’s primary language, at least as far as Tavi could ascertain. The other logs were easy for her to understand. They were spoken in common, though occasionally, she did hear some Old Gummi from the Councilors. The Councilors present were different than the ones she knew, so maybe this was a mix of gummies from different cities. Some had been called “Ursalian” councilors…perhaps the council that had proceeded over Ursalia?  
  
She rubbed her forehead. Too many questions and not enough answers! She needed to know more about this trial. She needed to know about the people involved. However, one thing she had noticed was that the Gummadoon knights had been there, at least the three main ones. They were not in every transcript but they had popped up when the testimonies were being given.   
  
She thought theirs were pretty gruesome to hear. They spoke about the many battles they had fought against her only to have her be so cruel and callous.  
  
Tavi thought perhaps the worst that she had read so far had come from Sir Plucki himself. Apparently, he had led the charge that eventually captured Emi. He had led a band of 150 knights….150! For one gummi! Against _one_ gummi! 150! Tavi had stared at that for a long time to make sure she had not misheard the book. Then…to hear his testimony that he had returned with only three, himself, Sir Gumlittle and Sir Blastus. Three survivors out of 150.   
  
That in itself made her feel sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to imagine what kind of deaths those other gummies had met. She didn’t want to think about one of her own kind heartlessly slaughtering their own kind. Gum, even in war, gummies only took lives if there was absolutely no alternative. They possessed no desire for vengeance that other races did. Tales of some hero seeking vengeance for a wronged one were unheard of.  
  
Gummies sought out danger only if no other answer to stop the threat could be established. They were perfectly happy just keeping to themselves, living their own lives.  
So…why did Emi seek out the magic like they said she did? Tavi could understand some of what the book had said about Emi, about her wanting to learn magic to feel closer to her late mother. Tavi could certainly sympathize with that.   
  
However, that didn’t explain her other actions. It was one thing to want to become good at an art, to strive to learn more. But Emi had stolen the magical artifacts from other clans, had slaughtered anyone that tried to stall her or stop her. She had slaughtered anyone that carried a gummi medallion. She had slaughtered anyone she came across, seemingly for no reason. There were a few moments that the book had stumbled over, like it had hurt to address it.   
  
Those had been in Old Gummi though, Emi’s own testimony.  
  
The responses had been some clues. They had been in common. Lots of questions about mercy, about motives and there were lots of areas of stunned silence, when the trial transcript had been recorded as simply: no response or silence. It was a lot more information than she HAD but at the same time, she wanted to hear Emi’s side. She wanted to know what Emi Gummi had said.  
  
Which meant, unfortunately, even with this magical sentient book, she still needed Corvi.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Main Courtyard of Gummadoon**_  
  
“Ah!” Toni protested, covering his head with his hands “Cold cold!”

Gumlittle chuckled, despite himself as he poured another bucket of water over the boy’s head, rinsing the mounds of mud out of his fur. “Well, a little cold never hurt anyone Sport.”  
  
“That’s too cold!” Toni protested.  
  
Plucki, looking up from his own mud spattered squire just laughed “Oh and the many maids would have had our heads if we had marched in like a couple of golems from the earth.” He turned to Cubbi who chose to shake his head back and forth, sending some watered down mud splattering in all directions. “Hey! You need not share THAT lad.”  
  
Cubbi pushed some of his wet hair out of his face. “Sorry!”  
  
The knights had moved them to a side area of the main courtyard, stripped them down and proceeded to wash themselves and the boys down with the nearby water wells. It was kind of fun but the only disadvantage was that they were subjected to fresh well water and given the recent rain, that meant cold!  
  
Still, it was kind of fun, all things considered. Cubbi had been sure they would have all been dead meat, especially given the fact that they had supposed to have been tracking the adults. Plucki had surprised the fur out of him by tackling him into the mud. He never would have thought a “noble knight captain” could be so playful. However, he was learning. Slowly but assuredly, he was beginning to understand that there was far more to a knight than just the warrior so many outsiders saw. He rather liked the homey Sir Plucki. And Sir Blastus and Sir Gumlittle. Man, they could be fun!  
  
Corvi turned from his own section. While the younger boys still were subject to being rinsed off and down by the adults, he was deemed old enough to clean himself up, for which he was grateful. He poured another bucket of water over his head, shivering and shaking as the ice cold water made him resembled a gummi more and a monster less.   
The sound of boots on the pavement made him turn.   
  
He blinked, recognizing Sir Ecri. It was rare to see the purple shaded knight anymore. If he wasn’t training, then he was doing chores and if there was any downtime, he was either at his brother’s gravesite or inside his own quarters. It was so different than the Ecri Corvi had known. He had been several years’ difference in age but he still remembered the elder one’s personality.   
  
So different from the Ecri now. Nevertheless, Corvi greeted him with a smile.  
  
It was not returned but Corvi had learned over the past few weeks that it was too much to expect that. However, the knight did lay a stack of towels and tunics on the dry stairs nearby before taking his leave. Apparently, he must have noticed them from the windows above. He still didn’t talk but rather continued on his way, looked like he was heading for the outward posts.  
  
Corvi took one of the towels from the stacks and a dry tunic before passing them around to the others. He took a spot next to Blastus as he finished rinsing Flynn off. Watching the purple knight’s retreating back, he eyed Blastus from the corner of his vision. “Hey Blastus?”  
  
“Hmm?” he asked as he pulled one of the dry tunics over Flynn’s head.   
  
“Think we’ll ever get a word out of him again?”  
  
Blastus followed his gaze a moment, pondering his reply. Truth be told, he had been so wrapped up lately with the concerns of the council that he had not addressed this issue. Now, that it was brought to the forefront of his mind, he felt like he had been cut with a knife made of regret and guilt. Yes, Sir Ecri was an adult, capable of making his own decisions, fighting his own battles. However, there it was again, the bond that the gummi knights had established over the years.   
  
Sir Ecri had been Blastus’ squire. He had half raised the boy, teaching the ways of battle, of strategy, of knowledge and had presented him at age eighteen to the council for knighthood with his full blessing. He knew the boy’s phobias (public speaking being a major one), he knew his likes, he knew his dislikes, and he knew everything about the boy.   
  
Yet he was powerless to do anything about the gummi knight’s current predicament. Loss in battle was expected but to lose a family member…and in Sir Ecri’s case…your twin, your other half, was a devastating blow. Sir Blastus was wanting more than anything to alleviate that pain. He wanted to take it away, to take it upon himself if he had to but anything to take it off Ecri’s heart.  
  
Still, the fact that Ecri had come out and brought them supplies, something that was out of his way, was encouraging. Maybe, he would be able to heal a little bit now, little bits at a time. Blastus made a mental note to spend some time with Ecri as soon as he was able. If he could coax even one word out of him, he would be happy.  
  
“I think we will,” Blastus assured his squire “In time.”  
  
Corvi nodded and turned, fully intent on heading inside to get some of his own clothes on. The dry tunic was nice so they didn’t have to parade in in just their bare fur but he wanted some of his own clothing. However, as he made his way inside, a motion on the upper windows sent his attention upward.  
  
It was Tavi, waving at him frantically from her window. He frowned. He liked that girl, he did. He also knew all too well how important what they were doing was but still…he wanted a break, just a brief 24 hours at least to not worry about anything. To be able to just collapse next to Blastus and do absolutely nothing, perhaps even fall asleep to a roaring fire and some of their hot tea.   
  
However, it seemed Fate was not content to offer him that. He cast a glance at the other boys slowly making their way in. He could hear the knights talking amongst themselves. He briefly heard something along the lines of the boys taking a few minutes to get themselves fixed up then to meet their mentors individually downstairs.   
  
Toni eyed Corvi, a bit baffled. The boy was talking to Cubbi again. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. It wasn;t so much wrong, as Corvi got along pretty well with pretty much anyone, but since it was so much more lately, it was weird. The way they spoke too, in hushed whispers like they were committing some horrible crime, was baffling.   
  
The two cubs took off up the stairs together, a few strides ahead of the other boys. Toni headed to follow them when a hand fell onto his shoulder. He turned, “Huh, what is it Gummie?”  
  
Gumlittle beamed, so glad to see a smile on the child, even if it had been brief. “Let me clean your wrists really quick, Toni.” He explained “I want to make sure no mud or dirt got into those wounds. That would make for a nasty infection and since we just broke that fever, we don’t want to welcome one back.”  
  
Toni eyed where Cubbi and Corvi had gone even as he followed his mentor off, half listening to Gumlittle’s explanation, half not.  
  
Yep, something was up and he felt, more than ever, that he had a right to know what.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Tavi’s Room**_  
  
Corvi felt like he was going to throw up.   
  
When Tavi had initially presented him and Cubbi with this magical book, it had been a scene of rejoicing. Finally, success! Though, it took Corvi a moment to get used to hearing a book talk, the book had offered much knowledge, allowing them to ask for something specific. They hadn’t enough time to listen to everything. Tavi had told them that later that eve, they could listen more but right now, she needed at least SOME of it translated. Some of Emi Gummi’s own testimony. Apparently, it was in Old Gummi, hence her need for Corvi.  
  
Oh, Corvi had agreed, fully anxious to get something of consequence done!   
  
He regretted it full heartedly now as he translated the first of many of Emi Gummi’s responses.  
  
He wondered briefly if he should have translated it at all. Surely no one Cubbi or Tavi’s age…  
  
But no, they would have found a way to squeeze it out of him. He could not very well leave them out now, not when they had commanded much of this search to begin with. Besides, he did not want to risk his mother’s death being discovered, for the sake of his brothers. So, he sat here, in tavi’s room, slowly reciting the words into common.  
  
The question asked of Emi had been: ‘Sister, did you willingly cause the death of your cousin, Naomi Gummi?’  
  
Corvi licked his lips as he repeated her response into common: “Did I? Did I? Ha, how could I hardly do otherwise? Indeed, she, whole heartedly invited it! She, as well as all those others who dared deny me my right! My right to magic, to the mystical ability we are all blessed with! Did I kill her? Oh, I did! Shall I tell you more, my brothers and sisters?” Corvi did not add the sneer the book had added to her term of ‘brothers and sisters.’ The thought made him sick. He didn’t look up at his younger comrades because he was sure if he did that he would lose his nerve to translate. “Oh, she was easy. She was the easiest of them all. She came to me willingly, claiming she wanted to help me. She, who had been given the ability to learn our birthright and I had not, claimed to want to help me! Oh, I was no fool! She taunted me, same as they all did, when they thought I could not see! I could see the way she watched me. I had grown weary of those accursed eyes. So, I set out to close them! She, for all her magic, had no strength at all! It was a thrill, to see _her_ at the mercy of another’s whims. Her throat was easy to crush. I could feel her veins pulse under mine, trying to fight against me but for once _I_ had power, not her, not my aunt nor anyone else! Me! I was in command!” Corvi paused, to gather his wits and his strength. “Oh, she fought. She did! I believe I still bare some of her scars. She wretched loose of me once. Hmph, imagine, thinking she could slip away so easily from me. Did she think I was going to let her steal away without giving me what I wanted? I pursued her, down the halls. A broken chair limb served my purpose well, I recall.  It cut well as any blade. Its unbroken end worked just as well as any club. She screamed, damn her, oh she screamed. Not for herself, not that would be too selfish-sounding for her I believe. It was her cub she begged for, her unborn wretch. Pleaded with me, she did, with every time I hit her. Even when she looked more blue and black than pink. Even when her breaths were more blood than air—“  
  
“Stop!” Tavi pleaded suddenly.   
  
Corvi did.  
  
He looked up finally, seeing his younger comrades, shaking. Unbeknownst to him, he was as well. They sat there, silent for a long moment. Looking at the clock, it appeared only a half hour had passed. It had seemed so much longer. Corvi closed the book  and handed it back to Tavi. “No more right now.”  
  
She just nodded. “We…need to finish this though.”  
  
Corvi nodded. As much as that simple translation had frightened him, it just drove home how important it was to get answers at any cost. Any cost. “I can meet you tonight. Slipping out of my bed at night isn’t unheard of.”  
  
“Me too” Cubbi cut in. “I want to be here too.”  
  
Tavi nodded. The thought of having to do this on her own haunted her and on a whim, she hugged Cubbi tightly. She could feel him shuddering or was that her own body? She looked up and saw Corvi was already at the door. She thought to call after him but he was walking down the hall already. She wondered what caused him to take leave so quickly but she instead just focused on getting her breath back. She eyed the book in her hand and pushed it under her bed.  
  
She had no desire to see it right now.

* * *

  
 _ **Sir Plucki’s Office**_  
  
“They are healing well?”  
  
Gumlittle nodded. “Aye, very well, brother. They are still deep, still fresh but the healing had begun. Young Toni finds it a bit fascinating now.” Gumlittle finally smiled “He asked if they would scar.”  
  
Blastus laughed a bit. They had a bit of time before the boys would be coming back down. So, the three brothers had gone to Plucki’s office, to recap, to try and keep their spirits light. The boys’ mudside romp had made them cheery but they had not forgotten their tasks and responsibilities at hand. Still, it was nice to laugh.  
  
“Oh, what did you tell him?”  
  
“I told him that time would tell.” Gumlittle responded. “He seemed content with that for the moment.”  
  
They were about to address another issue when the door of the room was opened, rather abruptly. Corvi stood in the doorway, looking assuredly disturbed. He was breathing a bit hard, he looked pale in the face and there was a glint in his eyes that usually was reserved for those that had seen horrors beyond their reckoning.   
  
Blastus instantly went to his squire’s side “Corvi, what is it?”  
  
The boy was silent a long moment then he set his eyes on first Blastus, then Gumlittle then Plucki, looking them right in the eyes. It was a serious gaze, one that was a bit intimidating. There was no anger in Corvi’s tone though someone that did not know the lad might have mistaken his determination for that.  
  
Plucki stood and joined Gumlittle at the boy’s side. “Lad, what-“  
Corvi’s voice came out like a biting snake, though not without a tremble to it:  
  
“What do you know about Emi Gummi?”


	23. Chapter 23

The utter shock on each knight’s face should have been enough to still Corvi's interest but the absolute determination which steeled him to ask it was as apparent on his face as the fact that he wouldn't leave them be without a real response.  
  
Gumlittle beat Plucki to it. "...Where did you hear that name?"  
  
"It doesn't matter where. What matters is if it's true. Did she... Did she really do such horrible things?" The sick feeling rose in Corvi's throat. What came out wasn't bile but the welling of tears. He had enough on his plate what with his mom passing and his little brothers. He was stressed about not getting back to them soon enough and were they doing okay alone and now Cubbi and Tavi wanted him to translate such horrible things! He couldn't help crying.  
  
Speechless at being confronted so out of the blue, Gumlittle and Blastus looked to their Captain. Sir Plucki gestured them gently away before putting an arm around Corvi. He looked about, then led the lad into a side room so they could talk privately.  
  
"I don't know where you heard that name, nor what stories have met your ears, but we don't speak of those times and certainly not of her. Gummies have seen dark days, Corvi Gummi, but nothing was as dark as that time. Nothing. So now you understand why we don't speak of it, don't you?"  
  
Corvi wiped at his eyes, trying to wipe away the memory of the words he read and the horrible things they spilled into his head. It didn't work. He focused on Sir Plucki's very serious eyes. That offered him some control of self, though he still sniffed and shook.  "Y-yes, Sir Plucki. But-"  
  
"I wasn't finished. I cannot answer your question, for your own safety, but you must tell me where you heard that name."  
  
Fear took hold of Corvi briefly. Sir Plucki wasn't gonna let him go without an answer. What had he done?... He'd stirred up a hornet's nest in his crazed state and now he'd have to tell Sir Plucki what they'd been up to and THAT would eventually lead to why they didn't ask his mom to read the Old Gummi and that she'd died and his brothers would get taken away from him and-- No! Corvi mentally slapped himself, trying to compose himself and look for a way out.   
  
"Was it Cubbi?" Sir Plucki cocked a brow at the squire.  
  
Corvi's mouth dropped open. How could Sir Plucki have guessed it was ANYONE in particular?!  
  
"Just as I thought." Sir Plucki sighed, shaking his head. "Gearing up for the ghost stories tonight I'd suspect. I'll have a talk with him. Perhaps the Glen Gummies have gone lax with what they feel is appropriate for children but I'll not have anything that upsetting spoken of tonight around the campfire or anywhere else, is that understood? Do NOT tell anyone else about this."  
  
"Uh..." Wow. Sir Plucki just assumed. He didn't have to say thing at all! "O-okay. I mean, yes, Sir Plucki."   
  
The knight Captain nodded. "Good. Now, no more talk of this, and for Gum's sake, don't worry or make a fuss over it. There's enough to worry about here in Gummadoon without the past coming to haunt us, alright?"  
  
If only he could! But Corvi nodded dutifully.   
  
"Off you go then. Oh, and where might I find Cubbi right now?"  
  
Corvi gulped. He didn't want to rat out Tavi, too. "Um, the kitchen I think?" So he lied, right to his captain's face. Why didn't he feel worse about it than he did?? Corvi decided to check on his brothers and get out of this mess for a short time. As he saw Sir Plucki's retreating back, he hoped Cubbi could handle himself well enough to keep it under that big blue hat of his. Otherwise, they'd all be in for it.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Lady Bane's Castle**_  
  
She felt hideous. Dirty and hideous and old. It came from not being able to gaze at her reflection. Lady Bane glared around her luxurious room, at the covered mirrors and other reflective surfaces.   
  
She kicked at a Troggle passing by. "You! Draw me a bath!" Anything to get the icky feeling off her body. As the Troggle scurried away, she smirked in satisfaction. A glance at the mindless body at her disposal had a full smile filling her red lips. Yes. A bath before her assault would be quite nice.  
  
The troggle was remarkably fast, though her servants typically were. It was ill advised to leave her waiting too long, especially when she was already very agitated. Anyone that had been in her service for longer than five days learned quickly that if anything prevented her from admiring her beauty, regardless of the need, that source was to be either extinguished or respected, depending. It took a great deal for the sorceress to lose focus, but her vanity had always been a key that could be drawn on.  
  
She gave him a kick out of the door as soon as the water was sufficiently warm enough. The steam eased her loose muscles as she undressed and eased herself into the steaming bath. She was a collector of anything that could improve the body’s appearance so she was well stocked with a variety of oils and lotions and salts that she took to rubbing on her body.  
  
She admired every aspect of her body as she did so. She felt so disgusting and revolting without her reflection to gaze upon so she took advantage of this time to admire her figure. Centuries of spells had done their work well in preserving her beauty. There was not a bit of skin that was blemished, not a bit of flesh that wrinkled.  
  
Leaning her head back into the water, she let her hair drown in the warmth. It really did feel good and gave her time to reflect on her coming victory. That in itself brought a full faced smirk to her. Soon, soon, she would have some of her revenge carried out.   
  
Then, once Gummadoon was extinguished, a rather large thorn in her side, she could set her sights on the others that she had to blame for her failure. Then, then, finally…she could get her hands on all those magical talismans that the gummi race dared deny her.  
  
 _You really are a fool._  
  
She froze, the warm water suddenly feeling as melted snow.   
  
_You think simply blocking mirrors will keep me out? I’m not a naïve moron as you would believe. You fall into the same trap that the others did, underestimating me._  
  
Lady Bane rose from the water though she did not exit but sat upright in the bubbles. She rubbed her arms, a subconscious attempt to ward off a chill that was not physical in nature. It did little good, save to make her acutely aware of the goose bumps that had long since taken rest on her arms, her legs, her back. Every piece of hair she possessed stood on end.  
  
 _Fool. To see you operate is to laugh. You have a great weapon in your possession yet you lack the knowledge to use it. As they say, you fail to see the trees because of the forest! Directly in front of you is the weapon you can use to do far more damage than you can imagine but you understand so little, it is as if you gave a battle sword to an infant. You cannot begin to imagine how to use it!_  
  
Then, that laugh…that god awful laugh! So harsh and so close. Lady Bane looked about. Her mirrors were blocked. She grasped a handful of water in her cupped hands, to wash off her face. As she leaned in close, she froze. Reflected in the water, it looked murky, dark, as if encased in a bog. Then, that laugh again, so close to her ears and in the cupped water, those dark eyes appeared and gazed deep into her soul, making her feel utterly vulnerable and naked.  
  
She threw the water down and leapt from the tub as if it were immersed with snakes and excrement. She grasped a nearby towel and swiftly dried herself off, even as that horrible laugh echoed throughout her ears. She shook her head, trying to ignore it. It was impossible. The laugh was all around her, like she had been dropped into the center of a well and the laugh was intent on drowning her.  
  
She fled to her bed chambers, intent on drowning the laugh out by immersing herself in her spells.  
  
It followed her.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Towers**_  
  
Cubbi was disturbed. He had never heard the term Emi Gummi before now, not that he was aware of. However, one thing that kept eating at him was the statement in that book. It had stated that the Gummi Glen Gummies had pleaded for their sister’s mercy. Did that mean Emi came from Gummi Glen? The thought made him feel a whole smorgasbord of emotion. He felt betrayed, angry, saddened, and a whole slew of other things that he couldn’t even begin to guess at. Mostly though, he was puzzled.  
  
Gummi Glen was his home, had been his home since he had been born. Why hadn’t anyone mentioned her, even in passing? Sure, it wasn’t exactly a cheery topic, but c’mon! Didn’t he have a right to know? That was his home! Is that why no one went in some of those old halls? He’d been told it was because they had been closed off but no one had ever told him why.  
  
Anger won out for the moment and the cub pulled himself up on the outer walls of Gummadoon, walking the narrow strip of rock that connected the towers. He wasn’t afraid of falling. He had done worse. Besides, it made him focus on his balance instead of all the different emotions in his heart. Part of him wanted to grab any of the knights by the tunic, shake them and demand that they tell him and tell him right now!   
  
Yet, another part of him wanted to crawl under his bed, cover his ears and try to block out those hideous things he had just heard. He frowned and leapt over a small crack in the rock. His feet never hit the stone again. He blinked, brought out of his contemplation by the realization that his feet were dangling, someone had been calling his name and now by the realization of a furry arm around his torso.  
  
“Cubbi.”  
  
Sir Plucki. The cub turned finally and looked up at his mentor. The Gummadoon Captain didn’t look happy but he didn’t look angry either, though Cubbi realized abruptly that he yet to truly see Sir Plucki angry. Something told him that he did not want to press his luck on the matter. In any event, apparently, he had been calling for the boy for quite some time.   
  
“Oh, hi Sir Plucki. Were you lookin’ for me?”  
  
The elder one set him down on his feet. “I was. I wish to speak with you on some pressing matters that have been brought to my attention.”  
  
Cubbi blinked, his ears up. What had Plucki found out? Were they found out? Had they-  
“I understand your desire to learn as much as you can.” Plucki began, sitting on one of the many seats they kept about the towers. Cubbi, feeling at ease, plopped down by the Gummadoon knight’s feet. Oh, that got a small smile from the Captain and seemed to eliminate much of the tension. “It is an admirable trait, lad. Pursuit of knowledge is something that is vital as you grow.”  
  
Cubbi tilted his head a little, wondering where Plucki was going with this.  
  
“However, I will not have stories of unpleasant times addressed around the fire this eve, am I clear?”  
  
The boy blinked “Uh…okay?” he tried.  
  
“Corvi tells me of your inquiries regarding Her.” Plucki said simply, making it very clear that even her name was a forbidden topic. Cubbi didn’t need to hear it to know what he was talking about.   
  
Darn it, Corvi had told on them!   
  
Wait, no, because Plucki wasn’t scolding or anything. Somethin musta slipped. ‘Sides, why would Corvi wanna get himself in trouble…  
  
“I know not what tales the Glen has let loose to your ears—“  
  
“let loose?” Cubbi interrupted, a bit snappy at the accusation. “They don’t tell me NOTHING about her!”   
  
“Oh, is that a fact?” Plucki asked, not accusing but rather genuinely inquiring. “Where did such dark tales find your curiosity then?”  
  
Drats. He coulda just stuck with the my-clan-told-me excuse but nope. His mind started to reel a thousand miles a minute and he finally replied “Just heard bits and pieces here and there.’ Well, that wasn’t a complete lie.  
  
Plucki looked a trifle disturbed. Truthfully, he was. The idea that his own people would spill stories on her was heart-wrenching. Corvi was not even supposed to know about her so how had the tales reached Cubbi? In addition, if they had made their way to Cubbi’s ears, then what other cubs had heard of those dark times? He shuddered to think of any of the pages hearing even little bits of it.  
  
“I see.” Plucki finally responded “Well, regardless, I want you to push those tales from your mind. They are not to be addressed, either here or around the fire this night. They are not tales for cubs’ ears.”  
  
No kidding. Cubbi thought silently but he replied, despite his understanding “When?”  
Plucki blinked at the cub, taken by surprise.   
  
“When can they be addressed then?” Cubbi asked again. “I mean, I understand if ya don’t want us talkin’ bout it but it’s important too, Plucki. It’s not a happy piece of history—“  
  
“it is the darkest of the dark, lad, for gummi and human alike, that is all you need know.”  
  
“So when can I know more?” Cubbi asked simply, his ears up and his eyes shimmering. “I mean, you don’t want us not knowing and repeating whatever it was that made those times so dark do you?”  
  
Despite himself, Sir Plucki smiled and leaned his weight against a propped knee as he eyed the child. “And this is from the child who claims to not be taken with scholarly pursuits?”  
  
Cubbi shook his head “Never said I didn’t like scho-schwho—never said I didn’t like learning” he told the Captain. “Just not reading.”  
  
“Fair enough.” He said gently. “However, you continue to improve, don’t you?” he asked the child, pleased to see that the topic had shifted to a brighter subject. He may not have gotten a definite answer from the boy but he had at least acknowledged that he was not to address it around the fire and for now, that would suffice.   
  
Cubbi shrugged “I guess so, if you say so.”  
  
“Oh, you doubt it?” Plucki said with a smile as he stood and took the cub by the hand.   
“Well, it’s still hard.” Cubbi replied. “Words and my mind don’t like each other.”  
“Then all the more reason to constantly reintroduce them.” The Captain remarked, as they made their way down the tower steps together. “Eventually, they will learn to embrace one another at meeting.” He winked at the boy. “Already, they have started to recognize one another.”  
  
Cubbi wrinkled his nose but as they walked, he found himself content to forget about the dark gummi deeds he had just heard about. For now, could he not just enjoy time with Plucki? That was what this week was supposed to be about anyway! He would have plenty of time tonight to wallow in that dark book.  
  
Thinking as they emerged into the hall, he inquired “Sir Plucki?”  
  
The Captain turned, raising a brow at the inquiry “Hmm?”  
  
“Well, since this is my week to spend time with you, does that mean I can ask you anything?”  
  
Plucki chuckled. “You are always free to ask lad and I will respond, in kind, if I can.”  
  
The cub nodded and considering all the possibilities at hand, he met the Gummadoon knight with his wide shimmering eyes. He trotted, speeding up to keep up with his mentor’s large strides. “Can I see your sword, please?” he pleaded, clinging to the knight’s left arm. “Pleeeeasse?”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Corvi’s Home_**  
  
“Co’vi!”  
  
Despite being unnerved, Corvi beamed widely at his littlest brother’s greeting. He fell to his knees and caught Cori in a deep embrace, picking him up. Morri was not far behind him, clinging to his sibling’s leg tightly. Corvi allowed himself a small laugh and hugged his younger brother tightly with his free arm. “Hey guys, sorry took me a bit.”  
  
Morri eyed him “We’re okay, Corv but we miss you.”  
  
Guilt hit Corvi’s like a dagger. “I know..”  
  
“Why we not go with you?” Cori inquired, looking his sibling in the eye. “We go ‘fore.”  
Corvi sighed deeply. That much was true. When his mother was alive, sometimes his little brothers would come into the palace with him. Usually, it was when they wanted to see the knights or something like that. Before cori was born, Morri would come sometimes to see his father. Being a knight, he didn’t get to see his children as often as he wanted. When Corvi entered training, he saw him more.  
  
Now Morri cut in, “yeah, Corv. Can’t we do that again?”  
  
Oh Gum, now this?! Morri wouldn’t be an issue but what if Cori slipped up? What if he said his Mama was sleeping and wasn’t waking up? He knew that while most of what little kids said could be dismissed as simply them being that, little kids, every time he had visited his brothers, Cori had questions. He was morbidly obsessed with the subject: where did Mama go? Is she still asleep? Is she with Papa? Will they be coming back? When? So many questions and apparently from Morri’s reports, it was all the time.   
  
Corvi understood why; it was a reasonable question of a cub Cori’s age.  
  
Didn’t mean it made it any easier.  
  
He eyed his brothers “I can’t right now.”  
  
Morri’s face fell. “But we miss you, it’s lonely here.”  
  
“I know Morri, I know.” Corvi told him, tightening his grip on him. “I think I can let you guys come to the palace with me, soon. Just not yet.”  
  
Morri eyed him, cautiously, seeking his brother’s eyes for any sign of a lie. “You promise me?”  
  
He eyed his younger sibling but gave him a firm nod as he squeezed his youngest brother tighter to his chest. “I promise Mor.” He assured him “As soon as I can, we will.”  
  
He eyed his brothers a moment longer, a sudden fear pecking at his heart. If Emi was as close to being released as he thought she was. If that risk was there…well, what if she sought them out? She seemed to like weaker victims. His brothers fit that category to a T. They had no adult with them, nothing like that. He eyed them both, swallowing hard. Cori was receptive to the tightening of his eldest brother;s grip but Morri blinked, a little surprised before looking up at his sibling.  
  
“Corv?”  
  
Jerking himself out of the horrible images that had started to erupt through his mind, he turned his attention down to Morri. “Hmm?”  
  
The younger gummi prided himself on being able to recognize pretty much anything that crossed his path. His eye for detail was truly something to be envied by most. So, when his brother’s grip had suddenly tightened with nothing to justify it and when he felt the cold sweat even through the boy’s tunic, he was bothered. “Are you okay?”  
  
Corvi eyed his little brothers, first his older little one then the youngest. He knew very little on Emi but the little that he had heard had already imprinted into his mind that their age would not exactly dissuade her from attacking them. Yes, he could see it right now, burning in his heart. Their limp bodies on the ground, pumping blood out on the ground. Dead, just like Papa. Cold, just like…Mama.  
  
No, not acceptable! Not acceptable!  
  
“Cori?”  
  
His youngest sibling lifted his head to look at him. “Yea’?”  
  
“I need you to do something really, really important for me, okay?” he locked eyes with his brother.   
  
Always eager to please his siblings, especially Corvi, he nodded “’kay, what?”  
  
“Big Brother _is_ gonna take you to the palace, okay—“  
  
Morri screeched “Yes! We get to see Blastie and them again?!”  
  
“—BUT” Corvi stressed. “We’re playing out a family game, okay?” he said, looking at Cori. “So, we’re playing a big game of pretend, okay?”  
  
Cori beamed “Like that game!”  
  
Corvi heaved a big sigh of relief. “Good…well, part of the game is that Mama is helping the Ursalians in Ursalia, okay? Cause you know how good Mama was at languages, right? So she’s helping.”  
  
Cori blinked, tilting his head “Mama in Ursalia and me be a page?” he asked.  
  
“Sure…sure…” Corvi agreed. “But remember the rules. Cause every game has rules.”  
  
Cori grinned “I’m the bestest, speciliest page and Morri spy from ‘nother gummi city teaming up with me and we gonna save the world.”  
  
Morri turned to his brother and still holding Cori on his hip, Corvi took him by the hand and opened the door, heading for the palace.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Hall**_  
  
Cubbi was in the sitting hall before any of the others. He lay on his belly, thinking. He was really in a dilemma. On the one hand, he was not about to break his promise to Plucki and it was beginning to look like he would not answer his questions anyway. However, there had to be something else he could do. Some other question he could ask. There was something Plucki had said earlier that kept bugging him.  
  
It is the darkest of the dark, lad, for gummi and human alike, that is all you need know  
Yes, he had said for human and gummi alike. So, did that mean that Emi had waged an attack on humans too? He frowned. Sure, the trial notes would tell them a lot, when they finally got to them. That book was BIG. However, now it had been cut into his mind that humans had lived through her hell too. Did that mean that maybe some legends were with the human cities? Did maybe Cavin know some or maybe Calla?   
  
As he sat, he kicked his legs back and forth, thinking. What about Cavin’s grandfather? That old guy knew lots of gummi tales and he sure seemed to know a lot of old gummi folk tales and legends so…well, if there was any history of a gummi attack on humans, he would sure know about it right?   
  
Cubbi bit his lip. So he needed to talk to some of the humans too…probably Cavin and his grandfather would be the best place to start. He lay his head down, groaning. His head hurt, throbbed like it weighed a thousand pounds. He was scared, nervous, angry, frustrated, and any number of other emotions. He felt like he had run a thousand miles when all he had been doing was wandering around Gummadoon. Could emotions wear you out like activities could?  
  
In any event, Cubbi reasoned that he still had a good hour before they met for their evening round of stories, no harm in just kicking back and relaxing a little bit. He laid his head on the arm of the chair, swinging his feet over the other arm. It wasn’t exactly comfortable but he had been told lots of times to not put his boots on the furniture and he didn’t feel like taking them off. So, he reasoned, with them hanging off the chair, he was still abiding by the rules.   
  
It made his neck cramp up a little because he had to curl up but it was quiet and he didn’t have to think about anything. He didn’t have to think on Emi, on questions, on nothing like that. It was kind of nice to just not think about anything. Maybe that would cool the pounding headache too. He closed his eyes a moment, just to stop the light from making the headache worse.  
  
When Blastus and Gumlittle came in the ready the fire for the boys that night, about an hour and half later, it was that same scene they stumbled upon: Cubbi, curled up in one of the arm chairs, head resting on arm, his legs draped over the other, his face buried into his arms and sound asleep.   
  
Chuckling, Blastus prodded Cubbi awake. When the cub roused, the knight said, "Mon ami, generally we tell the stories and THEN we sleep!"  
  
Cubbi let them have a groggy chuckle of his own before slipping out of the seat. At least he hadn't missed the stories, OR the horrors he'd be listening to once everyone else was asleep. Good thing he snuck in that nap. Looking around, the pink-furred cub saw no other cubs around, nor did he smell the food cooking yet. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"They'll be in soon, lad. Just a bit of fun in the courtyard that you missed." Gumlittle teased.  
  
As if on cue, voices young and old erupted in the far hall and neared quickly. Knights and some of the older squires had the pages on their shoulders and were making flying sounds as they all zoomed in near the growing fire.  
  
Cubbi blinked, then his heart sank. He moped. All this Emi Gummi stuff was really killing his fun time and rest week...

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Infirmary**_  
  
Councilor Wooddale took the poor gummi mother by the hand.  
  
Tears gushed from the gummi woman's eyes. "Please... Please tell me... It was a dream, wasn't it? Just a dream? What I did? What I..."  
  
"Karleni," Wooddale started, giving the other gummi lady's hand a comforting squeeze. "You must be strong. Please try. What happened with you we believe was the result of possession. When one is possessed, they can often remember not only what occurred but also something of whom possessed them. Please try to remember anything. We may all be in terrible danger."  
  
New horror filled Karleni's face. "It was real? What that... that witch made me say and... and do?" She looked about, frightened, as if her tormentor would jump out from the walls and overtake her again.  
  
"Karleni, focus!" Berrybottom tried a sterner tone to rope her in. "Who was doing this to you?"  
  
Karleni Gummi locked eyes with Councilor Berrybottom, her reply a hushed whisper, "Bane."  
  
The entire council breathed a sigh of tremendous relief. Lady Bane was someone they could deal with. Thank goodness!  
  
"Bane. That witch spun me out of my own body. I was so lost... And then your niece came and--"  
  
Councilor Wooddale's eyes grew round with fear. "Tavi? You saw Tavi when you were mind-lost??"  
  
"I... Yes. She... She saved me. But where is Toni? Where's my son? Is he safe? Is he... is he well?"  
  
Wooddale, unable to answer the gummi woman, stood and started out of the infirmary, leaving Spinwillow to make the awkward reply. She'd gotten two steps past the door when Berrybottom caught her by the arm.  
  
"Let's not be hasty, Wooddale."  
  
Agast, she turned on her fellow councilor. "WE don't even know how to rescue a mind-lost gummi without looking it up. How in Gum did my niece accomplish it?"  
  
Berrybottom took in a sigh and released it. "You have got to have faith, Toffi. Isn't that what Destini taught us? The magic comes from the magician. The medallions only strengthen that which we have. Tavi is a good, and obviously gifted, cub. We cannot barge in and begin accusing her of learning magic untutored. The medallions she absorbed must be guiding her. We must believe in that."  
  
Councilor Wooddale sagged. "I'm not going to her room to accuse her, Winsli. I'm going to make sure she's alright." Clearly showing him all her worry, fear, and sorrow, he not only let go but followed her onward.

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
The mass of cubs made quite the ruckus walking in and Cubbi moved quickly to greet them. He noted Corvi was not here and it made him wonder. What was Corvi doing right now? He felt bad for the blond haired teen. It was bad enough to hear the horrible, awful things just spoke aloud; it had to be a thousand times worse to be the one forced to translate them. Tavi said Corvi’s mom spoke fluent Old Gummi too. He considered asking her to translate. It might be easier on Corvi that way. Well, maybe it was an option if it became too much for Corvi at any rate.   
  
Though there was the question if she even would but she sounded like she was reasonable. If she found out they wee doing it to help the knights and the Council, well, gummies always aided those willing to help others.  
  
The pink gummi cub really wanted to just blurt out everything, to tell Sir Plucki everything he had heard, everything he was learning. It was all so horrible, so frightening. He didn’t understand how anyone could be as cruel as this Emi was turning out to be. He was beginning to truly understand why there were some books in their library at the Glen that Gruffi and Grammi had not let him or Sunni near. Realization lit up in his eyes like a candle in the dark.   
  
Wait…if Emi was from the Glen (and he was still trying to wrap his brain around that) then wouldn’t THEIR Great Book have more information on her? Zummi did a ton of journaling in there, detailing all their adventures. When they had first opened it, there had been a message from the last of the Ancient Glens.   
  
But…Gummadoon had been knee-deep involved too and they had kept that information out of their Great Book. Cubbi pondered a moment on the other books though, the ones inside the Glen library. Zummi had been quick to repair them all magically as soon as Gummadoon had restored the Glen. Before he had been reluctant to do so because of the risk involved but now he had lots of gummi wizards to mentor him. So, Gum only knew what secrets had been unlocked. Plus, there were those hidden passages in the Glen, the ones that…  
  
…That Grammi, Zummi and Gruffi had been strict that he and Sunni and even Tummi stay clear away from. They had tried to reason that they just wanted to explore them once and Gruffi had used the excuse that they were too broken down. That they were too dangerous. The trio of cubs had even tried to get Gusto to back them up and it was one of the few times, aside from that time that he had stayed over with Gusto, that he had seen such seriousness enter the sky blue gummi’s face. Gusto had sided with Gruffi, said that even the Ancient Gummies’ halls were subject to decay.  
  
Cubbi and Sunni had left it at that (Tummi had not been overly zealous to begin with) simply because of the intensity of the responses. Now, as Cubbi reviewed it, it seemed a huge clue. That did little to soothe him though. He was still frightened, more so than he remembered being in his entire life. He wanted answers. He needed answers. He wanted this over and done so that he could get back to training, so that Sir Plucki would stop looking so tired and worn. So that things could finally, finally become peaceful and they could just get ON with their lives.  
  
Cubbi was drawn out of his wishful thoughts by the poking of Toni.   
  
Cubbi gave the cub a bright grin, glad to see he had moved away from Sir Gumlittle a bit. His arms were still wrapped but Cubbi noted he was using them more, or at least attempting to. He still didn’t see him do anything more strenuous than lifting something with his forearms. He wasn’t present at their meals usually, or he didn’t eat much. Cubbi had not thought that he could damage his wrists that badly but now that he thought about it, there was a lot of stuff you did with your wrists. Toni’s had bled a lot. How long ‘til they healed?  
  
Sneaking a glance, Gumlittle spied his little white haired squire leaning in close to Cubbi. It truly levitated some of the pain and pressure on his heart to see that type of interaction. Toni was pretty reserved, which was a truly understandable reaction, given the current state of events. Toni was a very self-sufficient cub, which made the situation with his wrists a bit troubling.   
  
Toni had eaten very little the night before. Gumlittle had convinced him to drink a little bit but it had been minimal. Gumlittle knew it was boy’s pride. Toni was at the age where cubs wanted to be independent anyway and now he was dependent on someone else for even the simplest things while his body attempted to heal. It was healing, Gumlittle saw the signs. But the stubborn boy was suffering in the meantime. Perhaps another lesson on pride was necessary; it was a vital lesson and the boys were at the direct age where it was most important.  
  
The adults set about getting a fire started and the cubs began to throw blankets down. Considering for a moment longer, Toni gave the pink furred cub a second glance before he turned and set his eyes on his mentor who was throwing another log into the fireplace. Plucki was helping some of the younger boys gather their blankets, showing them how to double them up to make them warmer. Blastus was taking note of who was present, counting in French under his breath. Deciding to take advantage before the stories really started, Toni looked up and asked, “Gummie, can I go grab my pillow out of my room?”  
  
The tall Gummadoon knight smiled, poking at the fire a bit to stir the flames. “Sure. Do you need any help?”  
  
“Cubbi said he’d help me.”  
  
Cubbi jerked his head around and was about to ask when he said THAT but he didn’t want to look rude either. Besides, he didn’t really mind. So he got up and after a nod from his own mentor, he followed Toni outside the sitting hall and towards the large set of stairs. As they walked, Cubbi turned to the blue furred cub that was quiet. He supposed it was expected but the cub’s eyes were focused and dark. He looked almost angry but Cubbi couldn’t think of any reason why he would be angry, especially with him.  
  
“Toni, did I make you mad? I dunno what I-“  
  
Toni stopped and pushed his room door open, though not without wincing at the movement. He had gotten better at using his forearms and shoulder to get what he needed to get done but any movement on his wrists still hurt and he couldn’t really make a full fist yet. It still hurt too much but it hurt less than it had. Gumlittle had spoken the truth on that. Still, it infuriated him at all the things he couldn’t do. He wasn’t supposed to be a weakling. Though, if there was any silver lining to it, it really was nice to have Gumlittle by his side. It felt good.  
  
“I’m not mad.” Toni responded as he pulled his quilt off the bed, wincing and yelping in pain when the weight forced him to bend his wrists. Cubbi ran to help him and Toni winced through clenched teeth “N-no, I’ve got it.”  
  
Cubbi bit his lip, eyeing the wrapped wrists. He could see the tensed muscles underneath them. He could see the way the boy’s hands shook. He took hold of the quilt, not to try and take it away but to alleviate some of the weight. “Well at least let me help carry it. I’ve tripped on a quilt going down those stairs. It was not fun.” Cubbi winced as he recalled that extremely embarrassing incident. He had only been in Gummadoon a few days. He had been trying to help Plucki clear out some old ripped and retired clothes, quilts and what not and was helping him carry them down to the one of the seamstresses who apparently used them for some other type of project. He had tripped on the third step down and tumbled the whole way down. Looking back on it, he supposed it was amusing but he had certainly not felt that way when it happened.  
  
Toni pouted “I should be able to carry my own blanket.”  
  
Cubbi felt a bit at a loss of what to say. He knew Toni was still healing but he could also understand feeling utterly and completely frustrated. And-  
  
“And what have you all been up to, anyway?” Toni’s sharp inquiry brought Cubbi back to the present situation abruptly. He blinked.  
  
“Huh? Who? What?”  
  
Toni narrowed his eyes. “You hate it when people play dumb Cubbi and so do I so don’t try it. I mean what’s been up with you, Tavi and Corvi?” He asked again as they made their way into the hall. Toni grabbed his stuffed fish on his way out from its spot by his desk, still never taking his eyes off Cubbi. It unnerved Cubbi some, more so when Toni elaborated.  
  
“I mean the way you and Tavi and Corvi are always talkin’ all secretive. You guys planning somethin’ special or something?”  
  
Cubbi froze. Had they been so obvious? Did the knights suspect? They were so close to finding answers then he and the others could let Plucki and them know what to do and…and yeah,  then they could fix this mess so their mentors didn’t have to worry about it! Or at the very least, it was one less thing for their mentors to have to do. Once they had all these answers, they could help their mentors brainstorm and come up with a solution. Emi had made herself known and they were NOT going to just sit around and not do anything. Especially when they were so close. They just had to weave through the last of the translations and…  
  
“You are, aren’t you?” Toni interrupted his thoughts again, taking pause on the stairs. “What are you up to? The knights don’t appreciate being left in the dark and neither do I.”  
  
Cubbi felt a bit conflicted. He knew Toni had been through a lot, more so than most people would in a lifetime and it would not surprise him if the possession of his mother was somehow connected to Emi Gummi. Did he have a right to know? Well, it was hard enough keeping secret with just him and Tavi and Corvi. But then there was the issue of if they would be able to protect the knights. If they were all involved then…  
  
Cubbi shook his head; he really didn’t want to think about this right now. So he eyed his friend and said “It’s…kinda secret.”  
  
Toni narrowed his eyes “Not  the best time to keep secrets, don’t you think?” Toni inquired, though he kept the frustration free from his voice as he tried to pull the quilt from Cubbi. Cubbi in response, grasped the boy’s arms, trying to be as convincing as possible. True, Toni didn’t really KNOW anything. But he could certainly let the knights know something was up but if they heard that, then who knew what would happen! They had to finish their investigation first. They were way too close to—no, he had to convince Toni.  
  
“Toni, it’s all to protect them,” Cubbi tried to assure the boy. “You’re right. There’s lots of stuff going on and we’re trying to fix it.” He locked eyes, hoping to convince Toni of his sincerity. He wanted to keep the knights safe. He didn’t know much about Emi, only what he was learning and that was terrifying in and of itself. He didn’t want to imagine what had happened before. They just couldn’t let it happen again. They couldn’t just sit and do nothing. Toni would understand that right? He saw that link between Toni and Gumlittle, he would get it….  
  
“Toni…Toni, we aren’t keeping them long and I promise we’re going tell them as soon as we—“  
  
“OW” Toni yelped as Cubbi’s grip slipped a bit, brushing his wrists. Cubbi released instantly, guilt cutting through his heart. He hadn’t meant to do that. He dropped the blanket as Toni screeched. Cubbi bit his lower lip and moved his hands up to his shoulders, looking at the wrapped wrists. There was no blood or anything but it must have hurt, it must have hurt a lot. He looked at his friend, tears prickling his eyes. He could hear feet running from downstairs. Grasping Toni gently, he pleaded.  
  
“Oh, Gum, I’m sorry Toni. I didn’t mean to—“  
  
“Boys, what’s going on?” Gumlittle inquired as he made his way up the stairs. Cubbi stared at his friend, his heart pounding for more than one reason. He felt his palms sweat as Gumlittle found his way to their side and knelt to one knee. He took note of his boy’s tensed face. Looking at Cubbi, he inquired again, “Cubbi, what happened?”  
  
“I..”  
  
“It’s okay, Gummie.” Toni interrupted. “Cubbi and I just had really bad grips and he accidently grabbed my wrist. It’s okay.”  
  
Cubbi blinked, surprised. Toni gave his teammate a look that clearly said he did not approve of this idea but that he would go with it for now. He gave his mentor a smile as the large gummi looked his wrists over “See, Gummie, no blood. I’m fine. It just hurt. But it was an accident.”  
  
Gumlittle looked over both the wrists again before he was satisfied. “Okay, if you’re sure Sport.”  
  
Toni nodded as Gumlittle grabbed the fallen blanket. To Cubbi, he gave a gentle smile at the boy’s paled face. “Cubbi, you look like you’re going to pass out, it’s alright.” He gently nudged the boy’s cheek. “It was an accident. It happens. Now come on. We’re just about ready for the stories, whenever Corvi gets here.”  
  
Toni stared at his mentor as he followed him, Cubbi trailing behind. “Corvi’s not here? He’s never late.”


	24. Chapter 24

_**Lady Bane’s Palace**_  
  
Frustrated, the evil witch kicked aside one of her troggles as she paced the hall. Her undead gummi sat quietly in the center. With no soul to guide it, it waited for directions. Undead really was the best way to describe it. Its heart beat and it breathed but without a soul, it was hardly alive. Therein laid her problem. It was fairly simple to give commands to it, simple ones but it was hardly believable. She doubted anyone of even the simplest intelligence would suspect it for being a true gummi and gummies were naturally extremely intelligent creatures. She had to be able to inhabit it herself.  
  
Her mother had managed it. Her mother had perfected it. As far as she knew, no one STILL knew she had commanded it. That was how flawless her mother’s command had been, so fluidly obtained. Her mother was a strategist, patient. That was a trait that Lady Bane did not share of hers. Her mother was patient, she could wait endlessly if it served her purpose. Lady Bane wanted results and she wanted them quickly. All her troggles were well aware of this requirement. Failure was not permitted.   
  
Her mother had waited for years, not just days, but years! She had woven her control subtly. She had taken control with nary a slip in the natural order of things.   
  
Well, she didn’t have the time her mother had but she was hardly going to be outdone. She set her eyes on the gummi again. Focusing, she closed her eyes and this time when she sought out sight, the gummi’s eyes opened. The first thing she noticed was the incredible magical ability she felt inherent. Then, she felt the embrace of smell and touch beyond what she usually possessed. She tried to turn the head but it barely moved. It was like moving through molasses, it was like pushing through some type of murky swamp. But…she had done it. It was hard, hardly useable as of yet but…  
  
She could see through the gummi’s eyes. She took an inhale, and found her senses flooded again. She dug into her spirit and took a single step. A smirk spread, slowly, across the green gummi face. “See…Mother. You…are not the …only one who can…command the gummi…race.”  
  
Her footsteps were slow; she had to push all her spirit into the mere movement of walking. The body rejected every movement she attempted. It was a pure forcing of her will through the limp limbs, commanding them to bend to her will, not the will they were so used to. It was something she would need to proactice. She needed this character to be completely caable of every movement normally inherent to a gummi. Anything less and she would be found out and quickly. It would be difficult to pull this off, everything had to be flawlessly planned.  
  
Her momentary lapse of thought rendered the body stock still in mid step. It crashed to the ground before Lady Bane could gain complete control. Blood dripped from her own body’s forehead in pure exasperation. It was hard, painful but she forced the body back up, taking a moment to gather her feelings. Yes, yes, this body was slowly becoming hers again. It was…slightly easier this time. The gummi was hers!  
  
She got the distinct feeling she was being laughed at again.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Palace_**  
  
“Co’vi, you sound funny.”  
  
Corvi gave his youngest brother a cocked brow. “Gee, thanks.”  
  
Morri smirked at his elder brother, trotting by his side. “Sorry Corv but he has a point. You do sound funny.”  
  
Corvi didn’t really want to entertain that right now. He was not beyond thinking that the stress could very well be becoming expressed in his voice and his expression. He was trying desperately not to let it but Cori seemed to catch pretty much everything. It was not helping his nerves to have that thrown in his face. He rubbed his neck subconsciously, noting a faint swell in his throat, almost unnoticeable. Maybe he had gotten a dose of the seasonal allergies. They normally did not cause any swelling but it was not unheard of.  
  
As if he didn’t have ENOUGH on his plate without worrying about being sick!  
  
Giving his siblings a firm look, he adjusted Cori in his arms, warning, “Thanks oh so much for your compliments guys but drop it.”  
  
Cori pouted but went quiet as Morri rolled his eyes; his brother sure was cranky. He understood he was stressed but he also thought Corvi took himself way too seriously at times.  But he kept a firm grip on Corvi’s free hand. Corvi had picked Cori up about half way to the palace. The sun was setting and according to Corvi, they were already late. Morri hoped that meant that they would get a chance to hear some of the stories. He knew that technically they weren’t squires but sometimes the knights would allow them to listen in, regardless.   
  
That is, if Corvi would lighten up long enough to enjoy it.  
  
Morri was stressed too, no doubt about that but he didn’t seem to be having the same reaction his elder brother was. That aside though, he did suppose Corvi had to deal with a lot of things that he didn’t have to. Corvi always had been the type to take on way more than he needed to. After their father had died, Corvi had shifted from elder brother to being “bear of the house” much to his mother’s dual delight and dismay. At times it had been useful, especially right after Cori had been born but it also tended to make Corvi a stick in the mud at times.  
  
He had lightened up some over the years, mainly because he was with Blastus a lot and it was completely impossible to not lighten up around Blastus. However, now that their mother had…joined their father, Morri saw the parental side of Corvi rearing its ugly head again. Now, he was not about to deny that it was useful at times but it caused such a strain on his brother. Corvi was a perfectionist in the worst sense and this situation just exaggerated it a thousand times worse. He tried to remain understanding but it was hard at times. He knew it must be hard to have to worry about them, training and tutoring all at once. Plus, Morri was pretty sure that Corvi had not mourned their mother yet.  
  
That was just like Corvi, keeping his own needs in the back and putting the others’ needs ahead of him. He had sat up with Morri and Cori, letting the middle child sob on him into well into the early morning and while Cori had been too young to fully comprehend what was going on, he had been understandably upset and had found his rock in Corvi as well. Now, as they made their way up the palace steps, Corvi waving at two of the knights standing guards and Cori giggling and giving them a salute, Morri wondered if Corvi not attending to his own needs was going to negatively affect him. He didn’t want to see Corvi upset, hurt or sick.  
  
Luckily, he didn’t have a lot of time to ponder it because they nearly collided with Blastus on his way out.  
  
“Corvus!”   
  
Cori jumped down into Morri’s arms as Blastus nearly strangled their elder brother in a fierce hug. Cori giggled but said nothing as Morri shushed him. Corvi winced and swallowed, “Blastus—“  
  
“Où dans le nom de Dieu a tu aves été? J'ai été inquiété malade! Tu n'êtes jamais dernier!” The French knight locked eyes with his squire, looking him up and down quickly, searching for any sign of injury. Corvi laughed a bit and moved away from his mentor, pulling back just a little bit.  
  
“Blastus, je suis fin. Quelque chose est monté à la maison si j'ai dû obtenir mes frères. Désolé. Je n'ai pas signifié pour vous inquiéter.” He tried to assure his mentor, smiling. He held his arms out, spreading his legs, to show his mentor that he lacked any type of injury to his form. Blastus seemed to be calmed at this development and took a steadying breath.   
  
“Le petit Agneau, vous serez la mort de moi, un jour.”  
  
Corvi turned a bright red; that was a nickname he would never lose but he did not appreciate it being flaunted all over the place. “Blastus.” He hissed, switching back to common, “Little lamb, here?”  
  
Blastus chuckled as Corvi’s two younger brothers covered their mouths and giggled at their elder brother’s discomfort. So, something came up and he had to bring his brothers? Well, that made sense. He would need to figure out what exactly came up. He knew Corvi’s mother had been sick; perhaps she needed the extra time to be able to recover. He would have to inquire to Corvi about the current home situation but there would be time for that later. He mouthed this to his squire, gently “Nous adresserons ceci plus tard.” Corvi nodded in response.  
  
The Gummadoon knight broke into a huge grin and knelt down on one knee and opened his arms to the smaller gummies, his entire body posture changed back to the goofy playful friend and mentor that most cubs knew so well.  
  
“Morri, Cori, doesn’t Blastie get a hug?”  
  
Cori squealed and ran at the knight he had known his entire life as a father figure and Morri followed suit, throwing his arms around the knight, grinning. “Sorry we’re barging in on the rest week, Blastie.”  
  
The Gummadoon knight just smiled and lifted the boys up into his arms, resting Morri on one of his hips and throwing Cori over his shoulder, where the cub burst out laughing, kicking his legs. “Come on boys,” he smirked as he walked inside “We have just enough time for introductions before the stories start.”

* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room, Late Night**_  
  
Opening his eyes, Cubbi laid silent for a little bit longer. Shifting his head up, he saw that the room was dark, the fire extinguished. Glancing to his left, he saw Toni and Martinni asleep, covered from head to toe in blankets. Looking down, he saw a similar blanket had been draped over himself. He saw Flynn curled into a tight ball to his right, likewise covered up. Sitting up, he looked around. Corvi was lying on the couch, not the floor, sleeping, his long blond tresses falling into his face. The two new gummies who had been introduced as Corvi’s brothers were curled up tightly next to one another at the other end of the couch.   
  
Cubbi saw no sign of the knights.   
  
He had learned already that the knights would crash in the same room when they went to sleep, part of the rest week procedure apparently. That meant that they were awake somewhere, talking. He bit his lip. This was both good and bad. Good because they didn’t have to try and sneak past slumbering knights but bad because they could easily run into the knights wandering the halls. Swell. But they had to take the chance; they had to just get this over with. Cubbi viewed it like he would taking off a bandage. They just needed to get it over with.  
  
Standing up, he stepped over Toni and Martinni carefully and touched Corvi’s arm. “Corvi” he whispered fiercely.  
  
The teenager groaned and rolled over, facing the couch and turning away from the cub. Truth be told, he heard the cub fine. He knew what he was getting him for as well. However, Corvi was loathing leaving his dream. It was rare he had good dreams, even more rare lately but this dream he wanted to stay in. His mother and father were both there, just sitting there, watching him and his brothers sleep. Occasionally, his father would reach out and stroke his hair back. It felt so nice. He felt at peace…  
  
“Corvi!” the hushed whisper came again, intensity burning in Corvi’s ear. The teenager finally rolled back over and opened one eye. Cubbi’s deeply focused yet frightened gaze met him. As selfish as it sounded, it was actually nice to know he was not the only one scared. He could only imagine the fit his mother would pitch if she knew what he was getting knee-deep involved in. He had grown up hearing the stories of Emi from his father, as warning to not venture beyond the Palace Gates too far and to always stay close at hand to friends and ally. With time travel, it was east to forget that the time of Emi’s capture had been in Corvi’s childhood. He remembered it distinctly. His father had been killed prior to her capture, then the human-gummi wars accelerated and then they had fled beyond time and space.   
  
As Corvi stood, quietly, he found this realization only proved to frighten him more. The knights knew so little on her. The council knew so little. How deeply involved had they been in her trial? Had her home clan been the deepest involved? Or had it been another council? Perhaps only select few councilors had been involved. That was common if other councilors were shown to have some type of emotional attachment that would prevent them from being fair. Had she truly touched so many gummies in such a horrible way?  
  
Well, unfortunately, the only way to find out was to head up to Tavi’s room and find out.  
  
Taking Cubbi’s wrist, Corvi led the way up the back set of stairs, careful to keep his eyes and ears peeled. He did not want to see this rest week blow up into a mess of accusations and trouble. He knew they were trying to do the right thing though, by getting answers. He wanted answers so they could be done with this stupid thing. Creeping up the old stairs, he kept silent the entire way. Cubbi locked eyes with his elder teammate and squeezed his hand tightly. Corvi turned and blinked at the cub by his side.  
  
“I’m sorry we have to deal with this, Corv.” He told the teenager.  
  
Corvi sighed and paused. “I know Cubbi. Let’s just get it over with.”  
  
They passed into Tavi’s room at the end of the hall silent as shadows.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Plucki’s Office, Late Night_**  
  
Taking another drink from his glass, the atmosphere was grim as Blastus replaced it. The three Gummadoon knights had gathered in Plucki’s office once the boys had fallen asleep, intent on trying to get a stronger grip on their current situation. The topic of Emi was still very heavy in the air. The knights were no fools. They knew the word would spread at some point even with their attempts to keep it under wraps. Their children, their boys, were no fools either. Plucki’s report of Cubbi’s curiosity was disturbing. They knew that despite rumors to the contrary, young lads tended to gossip and talk just as much as the young lasses, perhaps more so on topics of the dark and dreary. It was a natural curiosity, especially when one was bound to encounter supernatural elements in their everyday life.   
  
Plus, Cubbi did have a valid point that they certainly did not want Emi forgotten and the lessons acquired by her to be lost. They did not want to deal with another Emi down the road but truth be told, they honestly did not know what talking about Emi would achieve. Mainly because they still could not comprehend what had driven her to such dark levels to begin with. The Gummadoon knights had been her captors; they had finally rendered her prisoner and brought back to Gummadoon for trial.   
  
They had been the survivors. They had been faced with Emi in her full strength. It had been a quest full of fear, death and luck. She had thrown them off, primarily because unlike the demons and monsters they had faced before, she appeared just as much a gummi sister as those they had left at Gummadoon. They had found her within a dark underground cavern and by the time they reached her, she had walked calmly out of the mist, her long black hair framing her face, a dark green dress flapping about her ankles. She had greeted them pleasantly before attacking in full force.   
  
It was her voice, her eyes that still haunted the key warriors of Gummadoon. Her dark tone, dry, laughing and sounding not dissimilar to crushing dead leaves under boots. Her eyes, dark and cold, like pools that sucked you in and never released you. Pools that stung you with a dark cold that was impossible to describe and just as impossible to forget. Even when they had finally subdued her, she had kept a dark calm about her, occasionally even giving them a low laugh. It had been extremely unnerving and they were loath to go through it again.  
  
Yet, as it stood, they had been little involved once they had given their testimonies at her trial. Her fate had been turned over to a mix of multiple Gummadoon and Ursalian councils, as well as the prime leaders of Gummi Glen and Gummerset. They had been present when the testimonies were given but had been absent when she had been sentenced, taken away from Gummadoon by the increasing violence between humans and gummies. The peace had been obtained with her imprisonment but the thought that their gummi sister had fallen into darkness was heavy on the heart.  
  
Now, it came down to keeping their future safe from her, again.  
  
The gravity of the situation could not be underestimated.  
  
“Well, mes amis,” Blastus cut into the silence. “We faced her once before, n’est-ce pas? If anything, we have been the most exposed to her. We have seen how she operates.” Blastus took a deep breath “So what path would she have taken before? What path may she take now?”  
  
Silence a moment then Gumlittle broke the tension. “Emi is no fool. She’s a planner.”  
  
Plucki was quiet. Truth be told, the trial of Emi had dragged on for so long not because of trying to prove her guilt. That had never been in question. When they had questioned her, she had smiled, darkly and bragged openly about it. She had met the Gummadoon knights’ eyes a few times, saying that they were to be congratulated for managing to subdue her ‘for now.’ She had never denied her actions; she had never tried to twist reality. She had been proud of her deeds, ecstatically so.   
  
The trial had been primarily to try and determine if their gummi sister had truly lost her grip on reality. That would have explained so much…that would have alleviated the strain on their hearts.  
  
Yet, in all, they had no choice to determine that she had been completely sane, just cold, calculated.  
  
That was why it was so hard to predict her movements. She operated completely outside of what was considered gummi. She was impossible to relate to because she had the same disregard for life that so many of their human enemies had possessed. It was unnerving, it was disturbing. They had never met up with any enemy like her before or since. They still were lost with what to do because they had never known what to do in the first place. They still didn’t understand her. For most enemies, Plucki had long since learned to read and predict them. He had learned how people’s motivations directed them.  
  
Emi had none of them.  
  
Plucki sighed and rubbed his temples. “She is. I highly suspect that our responses are even factored into her planning. Her motivations have never been easy to figure out. She carries such a cold heart; I would not put anything beyond her at this point. I don’t know if she desires to seize magic as before or if revenge is her purpose. She was quite careful with her wording at the trial.”  
  
Again, silence followed. Gumlittle broke the silence. “Then there is the issue of the boys…”  
  
Plucki took a heavy breath. He wanted so badly to keep the children out of this, to let them remain innocent and none the wiser. “The boys-“  
  
“Will not relent, mon ami.” Blastus interrupted him, saying what needed to be said but not necessarily what they wanted to hear. “Corvi’s already expressed interest. And mon ami Cubbi…”  
  
“Blastus,” Gumlittle interrupted. “This is not a minor-“  
  
“You need not remind me what’s at stake, frère aîné,” Blastus responded, a dark tone to his usual jovial voice. “I am tres aware. But Cubbi is right. Hiding the information…what good does that do?” He took a swallow of his drink again, addressing his elder brothers. “I do not desire to weave those tales any more than you two do but the fact is, mes amis, the boys are already prodding. I don’t know what triggered it…perhaps the cubs have sharper ears than we do and caught wind from the Council.” He suggested. “But it really isn’t important, is it?” his inquiry hung heavy a moment. “The fact is the boys are intrigued by it, they’re curious. If Cubbi and Corvi have already shown interest…that’s almost 40% of our squires.” He eyed his eldest brother, Plucki intently. “I know it is not something you wish to address, Plucki, but the boys will poke and prod. They’re curious and I cannot blame them. Our boys are intelligent, clever. They know something is afoot.”   
  
Taking a moment to finish off his mug, he addressed his Captain, “And honestly, mon captain, I would much rather they find out from me than by rumor.”  
  
Plucki took a deep inhale, rubbing his temples again. He knew Blastus was right, despite how he longed him to be wrong. The fact that both Corvi and Cubbi were raising questions meant the rumors were swirling. The knowledge was out there. The boys were hearing it. They no doubt had seen the stress beginning to creep up on the knights. Blastus was correct; they had been blessed with boys whom were rich in skill, moral fiber and intelligence. They asked questions that delved past the superficial surface of issues and got to the heart of them. They were devoted and loyal.  
  
They would investigate and Plucki dreaded what they might discover. Granted, if they told them it would not be much better but at least that way, they could control how much to reveal in one setting, they could pause and comfort. He dreaded seeing those eyes light up with fear and anxiety but as Blastus had pointed out, better it be told by them than by uncaring rumors of falsehood.  
  
Shifting his gaze to Gumlittle, the tall Gummi Knight was thinking, taking in a deep inhale before replying to his captain’s glance. “I would much rather they stay out of this altogether but Blastus is right. We have been letting our own fear get in our way. I have no desire to destroy the trust we have developed with the boys.”  
  
The threesome of knights took an additional moment before Plucki said “Tomorrow?”  
  
Nods abound and they rose to make their way back to the living room. They could stand watch over their slumbering cubs for now.  
  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi’s Room_**  
  
The thunder outside was not helping. Corvi was convinced that nature liked to mess with people’s minds. Ever since they started the translation, the storm had only intensified; in the back of his mind, he wondered briefly if Emi was doing it. That was hardly beyond her abilities. That very thought just made him shudder even more though. He shook his head to clear his mind and looked to his two companions.  
  
Cubbi looked pale, almost a white with pink tint and Tavi’s face mirrored his. They were both sweaty and Corvi realized suddenly that he was the same. His hands, which had been clutching the book as he read, were slick and damp. He took a shallow breath and said “You ready?”  
  
The two cubs shook their heads but Cubbi said “But go on…we’re…we’re making progress.”  
  
Corvi took a breath before taking his eyes back to the Old Gummi:  
  
 **Ursalian Council Member Jori: “Emi Gummi, after the multiple testimonies we have heard, we must read the charges placed against you. You are then free to challenge them.” The council member took a breath before reading, as monotone as he could make himself: “Murder of numerous brothers and sisters of Gummi Glen, numbering 678 in number, including your own first cousin and her unborn cub. Murder of the entirety of the warren of Gummiopis, numbering 432. Murder of numerous brothers and sisters of Gummerset, numbering 298. Murder of the entirety of the gummi warren of Gummerca, numbering 780. Murder of the entirety of the gummi warren Ursaline, numbering 903. Murder of the entirety of the gummi warren of Ursana, numbering 860. Murder of the entirety of the gummi warren of Ursine, numbering 540, murder of the entireity of the gummi warren Ursinedae, numbering 478.” *pause* “Murder of the entirety of the gummi city Gumiopoline, numbering 1023. Murder of the entirety of the gummi city of Ursadine, numbering 1123. Murder of the entirety of the gummi city Bera, numbering 1345. Murder of the entirety of the gummi city of Gumdole, numbering 2345. Murder of numerous brothers and sisters of Ursalia, number 234. Murder of numerous brothers and sisters of Gummadoon, numbering 175.”** He took a deep breath. **“In total, murder of 11,214 gummi brothers and sisters.”**


	25. Chapter 25

Corvi stopped and leapt up, running into Tavi’s bathroom. He dropped before her toilet and threw up, his back heaving. He heard soft padding behind him. Then the tiny hands settling on his back and he heard the tear clogged voice of Cubbi. “I...I’m sorry Corvi. We…we can—“  
  
“N-no.” he interrupted the cub as he sat up, falling backward. Cubbi grabbed him by the shoulders and Corvi saw the tear stains running down the cub’s pink fur. He was shaking, almost as badly as Corvi himself. Tavi padded behind the two of them before she knelt and handed Corvi a cup full of water. Corvi accepted it with a half-smile of thanks. The water sloshed out a bit from her trembling hands. Corvi sat up and sipped it, squeezing Cubbi’s hand tightly in his own. “Thnaks but no…we HAVE to finish this.”  
  
He was scared, petrified, even more so than he had been before. However, now he was more convinced than ever that Cubbi and Tavi were right. They had to end this!  
  
Getting to his shaky legs, Corvi made his way back to where he had dropped the book. Sliding to sit back down, Cubbi perched himself right next to Corvi, nuzzling into his side, hoping it would bring some comfort though he wasn’t sure if it was to comfort Corvi or to comfort himself. Tavi took up Corvi’s other side, doing the same thing. Corvi had to admit, having them close was comforting though, for the first time in almost four years he wanted to run to Blastus and bury his face into his strong chest. No...no time to focus on that. Just focus on the moment at hand. Get this done!  
  
Clearing his throat, Corvi continued:  
 **Ursalian Council Member Ursula: “You willingly ignited the human attack on the city of Gummeria, resulting in 56 gummi deaths. You willingly attacked the human city of Williamdon, resulting in 350 human deaths. You willingly attacked the human city of Salisberg, resulting in 321 deaths. You willingly attacked the human city of Claudeson, resulting in 578 human deaths. You willingly attacked the human city of Jerickson, resulting in 406 human deaths. You willingly attacked the human city of Drakeville, resulting in 230 human deaths.” *pause* “You…willingly deceived the human cities of Holtswoole, Marcton, and Carlston, leading to the Battle of Lorath Wood,”**  
Corvi paused, hearing Cubbi take a sharp inhale of breath and stiffen. He eyed the cub a moment, confused, before he remembered that Gummi Glen was situated in those woods. So Cubbi probably had played in the fields where that battle took place and never knew it. Corvi waited a moment until he felt the cub grasp his hand a little tighter, encouraging him to continue.  
  
 **“The resulting battle cost the lives of 3,234 humans and 2,023 gummi kin. You willingly stole from over 200 gummi warrens and cities, of gummi books and magical artifacts. You willingly used gummi magic as a means to deceive both gummi and human alike in 24 separate instances. Therefore, gummi sister, in total the charges against you are igniting war, igniting distrust between alliances, deception among various clans, misuse of gummi magic, theft of gummi knowledge and magical artifacts, murder of 13,293 gummi bear brothers and sisters and murder of 5,119 human lives. How…do you plead these charges, gummi sister?”**  
  
 **Emi Gummi: “Your numbers are off by 360 gummi and 894 humans. I did. I enjoyed every moment of it. If you insist on waiting for regret and remorse, you’ll be sorely disappointed. I must commend your knights on their ability to subdue me though. Did you enjoy that, Sir Plucki? Gumlittle? Blastus?” *laugh* “Enjoy it for now. I promise you won’t live to do it again. I won’t forget your names or your faces. You have the upper hand for now. It is hardly going to last. I can guarantee you as soon as these meager magical restraints are gone, you three are some of the first I intent to take.”**

Cubbi’s blood ran cold and Corvi sat upright.   
  
“The knights…she’s trying to get to them.” Cubbi screeched. Panic settled in his heart. Corvi, to his credit, kept a wee bit calmer.  
  
“She…may have that as a goal, but I doubt it’s her only one…”  
  
“Does it matter if it is or not?” a new voice cut in. “She made a promise. What are we going to do about it?”  
  
The threesome of cubs looked up, stunned by the sudden appearance.  
  
Toni, Martinni and Flynn stood in the doorway, looking rightly disturbed and frightened but there was a determination in their eyes. Toni, obviously the ring leader, broke in again. “What else does that book say Corv? How do we protect the knights?”  
  
Tavi didn't need to glance at Corvi or Cubbi. They'd been caught. She knew it and they knew it.  
  
"Uh... Hi, guys!" Cubbi scratched at the back of his head and glanced at her, then Corvi, looking for some form of back-up to cleverly get out of the situation.  
  
Well, at least, she thought all three of them realized it. She rolled her eyes at the pink-furred cub. "Give it up, Cubbi. They overheard it."  
  
Indeed. As wrapped up as they had been in what Corvi revealed, there was no way to tell exactly how much they'd overheard but it didn't matter.  
  
The look on Martinni's and Flynn's faces was a mix of horror and shock at what had met their ears but it was Toni that held the trio's focus.  
  
Toni eyed them not with accusation but with stern commitment. "So? What is that you're reading, how'd you get your hands on it, and how do we protect the knights?"  
  
Corvi, coming to his senses soonest, went to the door, looked around, and shut it, lest they get any other unwanted visitors. "It's the trials of Emi Gummi."  
  
"We found a magic book and it's got a lot to say about her," Cubbi answered the second bit.  
  
"And we don't know much ABOUT her yet," Tavi finished.  
  
"So... That really bad person... that Emi... was a gummi?" Martinni's voice trembled when he asked. Just the thought of so many deaths -- even one by gummi hands -- was hard to conceive.  
  
Corvi, Cubbi, and Tavi exchanged looks.   
  
Tavi spoke, "No. She IS a gummi -- an evil one --, and she might have already broken out of the magical prison the knights and councilors put her in. There's a lot going on and if you are going to be in on this you have to keep your mouths shut for now. Destini's ghost told us the knights won't find the answers in time. We can't risk the knights and the councilors shutting us out when they don't know half of what we uncovered. If they'd just LISTEN to us..."   
  
Tavi ignored the shocked looks at her hurried reveal and sighed, referring to her earlier visit from her Aunt Toffi. She hadn't said anything yet to Cubbi or Corvi. Didn't have the want or need to mention it yet...  
  
 _Still exhausted and still banished to her room, she'd laid down to try and find some modicum of peace after helping to free Toni's mom and from finding the book and everything else they'd found out when Aunt Toffi opened her door without asking._  
  
 _"Tavi dear? Are you awake?" Anxious, the councilor had sat on the bed next to her._  
 _Tavi sat up, saw Berrybottom just outside her door. They were worried as all get-out. She pretended to just be waking, wondering what it was that had them all upset._  
  
 _"Hm? What's wrong, Auntie?"_  
  
 _"Eh... well... Toni's mother is awake. She... well, she said you helped bring her back?"_  
 _Dropping the facade, Tavi sagged. She knew she was about to get a lecture and dreaded it. "Look, I know you aren't ecstatic about me practicing magic. I didn't do it on purpose! I was asleep and I just found her... Aunt Toffi, there's a lot I need to tell you but you really gotta listen. And don't get mad but I used a spell from the Great Book to summon Destini's ghost and talk to her. I had to know, Auntie. It was her in my dream, trying to warn us. And..."_  
  
 _The look of cascading horror on her aunt's face made her stop. Before she had a chance to say it all slower, Wooddale interrupted._  
  
 _"Tavi Ameri Gummi, you summoned Destini's spirit?!"_  
  
 _"Yes. That's what I just said, and--"_  
  
 _"Don't take such a lax tone, Tavi." Her aunt turned stern. "There are certain rites which must be done first before anyone dares intrude on a spirit's peace. What you've done could inhibit the spirit's return, or worse!"_  
  
 _Tavi pressed on, trying to ignore her aunt's reaction. "Well, no one is teaching me anything, and I really need to Council to--"_  
  
 _Aunt Toffi shot to a stand, her face flush with anger. At that moment, she was not an aunt but all Councilor."YOU need? If you had any idea what we were up against, you wouldn't be making demands. I thought perhaps you were old enough to understand the situation, perhaps old enough to assist in a light capacity once it was determined if your magic was attracting the problems currently plaguing our city, but it seems you are being uncharacteristically selfish." Sadness washed the anger from the councilor's features and she sagged under the weight of her internal burdens. "Perhaps it is time to look into a method of removing the medallions from you, or at least sealing away their power until you've been properly schooled."_  
  
 _Councilor Berrybottom entered, a great lot of concern on his face. Not for Tavi but for Wooddale. He lay a hand on her shoulder. "You cannot mean that! Have you reconsidered what we discussed?"_  
  
 _Wooddale looked blankly in front of her, then shook her head, squinting greatly. She frowned, glanced over at Berrybottom. "I... No..."_  
  
 _In a single heartbeat, Tavi saw her aunt's face fill with absolute terror. Aunt Toffi backed away from her and ran from the room, Councilor Berrybottom chasing after._  
  
Left in the wake, Tavi was stunned. The only thing she could think of was that, somehow, the uncharacteristic behavior of her aunt had been brought on by some outside source. Not quite a possession but, well, an influence would be the best way to put it.  
  
That had been before the boys came in to read the rest of the trial, and before they'd been found by Toni, Martinni, and Flynn.  
  
"I don't know what's going on with the Gummadoon Council. I don't know what the full story is with Emi. I DO know that your mom was possessed, Toni, and that's why she was doing horrible things. I just don't know who was doing it. We have strong reason to believe that Emi Gummi is breaking out of whatever prison the Council put her into a long time ago and it's up to us to make the adults listen because that book has some kind of clues in it on how to stop her again. I just don't know if we know enough between us to figure out what those clues are. We gotta get the adults to hear us out."


	26. Chapter 26

_**Lady Bane's Castle**_  
  
Chuckling to herself in delight, Lady Bane looked over her accomplishments today as one would admire a case of trophies. Her crowning achievements? Making her new meat puppet obey her, and finally putting a dent in that old ironsides, Councilor Wooddale. Oh, Mother had been correct. The way to cut the gummies up from the inside was those silly bonds they carried with them. Go after their worry, their fear, their anxiety over loved ones. That was the way in, even past most of the wards the Council relied on to keep her out. Oh yes, sneaking through the cracks in the old bag's magic armor.   
  
Her cackles of victory echoed about the castle as she relished the memory of seeing the old bear fleeing her brat niece's room after realizing she'd been compromised. Glorious!  
To influence one as powerful as a Councilor was truly something to be celebrated. Lady Bane was no fool. The Gummadoon Councilors did not achieve such a rank by being vulnerable to suggestion yet she had done it. If anything, it had been surprisingly simple. Emotions truly were the Achilles’ Heel for these gummies. Anger, fear, sadness…  
all so easy to tap into and utilize. Had she been less aware, she would have pursued the Councilor further but no. No, she could not give away her position so easily. She had a vital player in her hands, this dead gummi. Well, perhaps a better term was a meat puppet because the body was hardly dead. It simply possessed no soul, save what she desired! Oh, yes, once she found the proper opportunity to introduce it, she would break them, break them all!  
  
“You will squander your best chance.”  
  
Freezing in her victory pace, Lady Bane felt an emotion she did not feel very often.  
  
Fear  
  
She had heard the voice before, when she was in the bath, and later as she ventured down her halls. However, there was a distinct difference. There, it had been confined to her mind, a simple telepathic communication, though not of her own desire. It had echoed through her mind, like an unwanted song but it had been contained. It had been isolated to her and oddly enough, that had given her a sense of security. After all, telepathic powers were fairly easy to do, if one knew magic as this one did.  
  
But as she glanced around, she saw her troggles looking back and forth and the ears of her gummi puppet had moved in reaction to sound waves. The voice was very clearly spoken aloud. Yet there existed no source, nothing from which that sound could have emitted from. Yet, all the same, it was there, in all its ice cold glory. The same horrendous cold and heartless tone that could freeze grown men in their tracks and send them running back to their own kingdoms, out of fear of their own lives. The same merciless tone that had laughed as it crushed too many lives under its foot, more than even Lady Bane cared to recall.  
  
Rushing from the room, Lady Bane let the door slam behind her even as her troggles covered their ears at the bone chilling laugh that echoed through the room.

* * *

  
 ** _Tavi’s Room_**  
  
“So…that’s what you know right now?” Martinni spoke quietly, barely above a whisper, like speaking any louder would send the cruel gummi plowing through the closet doors.  
Tavi nodded, her golden streaks alight a bit in the darkness of the room. She had turned on her lamp a while ago but she did not dare turn it too high, lest her aunt or someone else come to investigate the light. It certainly did not help the overall spooked mood of all involved. They had caught their new allies up to date with what they had learned, though in abridged form. Corvi could not have reread those passages if he had wanted to. Besides that fact, they would not have asked him to. It was hard enough hearing it once and for Flynn, Toni and Martinni, it was bad enough hearing it second hand.  
  
Corvi took a shaky breath and when he spoke; his voice crackled some, something that had been happening more and more. He was not about to cry in front of the younger boys though (although this type of swaying of his voice did not feel like the usual emotion-ridden choke). Taking a breath to steady his voice, he replied, “It isn’t much but at least we know what we’re dealing with, more or less.”  
  
Toni frowned, “Yeah, a complete crazy—“  
  
Corvi eyed him and Toni stuck out his tongue “Well, what would YOU call her?”  
  
Without a response, Corvi replied “That isn’t the point. The point is we nee-“  
  
Martinni interrupted “Corvi? Are you okay?”  
  
Jerking his head up to look at the closest cub to his own age (only about two and half years younger) Corvi appeared taken aback for a brief moment, “Well as I can be, why?”  
Flynn eyeballed him, curiously “You just sound like you’re gonna cry. Was it that disturbing? What you read I mean…”  
  
Corvi blinked. Yes, it was disturbing and scary and horrible but he didn’t feel like crying. He felt like burying his face, maybe throwing up again but not crying. Yet as he looked around the room, they were all giving him similar looks. Geez, did he sound that bad? First his two brothers and now all of them! He did NOT need everyone bringing his scratchy throat to his attention. He was well aware of it. Last thing he needed now was all of them staring. Well, all but Cubbi and Tavi. They looked guilty, like this was their fault. Cursing whatever allergen was currently affecting his voice, Corvi tried to divert attention back to the issue at hand, “Look, we’ve gone through the trial, painstakingly. If you guys are willing, there is a little left. I am willing to translate it but just once. Clear?”  
  
The group of cubs nodded feverishly, all of them suddenly feeling heavy and frightened. There was no storm outside but there might as well have been. The very atmosphere seemed to dictate storms, winds, darkness and a feeling of suffocation. Cubbi eyed Corvi a moment, saying “Sorry we can’t help translate, Corvi.”  
  
The teenager managed a small smile, though it was forced. “Old Gummi is hard, Cubbi. Even if you were all already learning, you wouldn’t be good enough yet to translate.” He felt a bit of a relief for a moment, actually getting a surge of pride at what his mother had managed to teach him. Old Gummi was a dying language. Granted, the knights and counselors knew it but they knew like most gummies knew Latin: with much concentration and research. Old Gummi, as well as Latin and French, flowed from Corvi’s tongue just as readily as Common. His brother Morri had the same talent, if in lesser spades and without a lot of the accent, except on select words. For some reason, this gave a sense of strength to his worn spirit. “Old Gummi is tricky, but maybe I can teach you all a few words sometime.”

  
For a moment, just a brief moment, Corvi allowed himself a simple image. There was no threat of Emi, of losing his brothers, of keeping all these secrets. Instead, he saw himself as he had been simply months ago: wrestling with the squires, following Blastus on patrol, reading with some of the magihistorians. He now saw himself showing some of these boys the gifts of his mother, the secret of her mother tongue. It made such a pleasant thought, a peaceful and calming thought…  
  
Forcing his eyes back to the book, despite how he longed to remain in that pleasant moment even if it was false, he turned the page, closed his eyes a moment and a shaky breath before reading in common:  
  
 **“With her confession, along with the gathered evidence, eyewitness reports and reports of the battle to obtain her surrender from Sirs Plucki, Gumlittle and Blastus of Gummadoon, Emi Gummi’s guilt was assured and her sentence passed. Given the severity of her crimes, the safety of the entirety of the world, not just fellow gummies was needed to be assured. However, gummies are a merciful race, we do not kill needlessly and despite the horrific accounts of her crimes, death would only add another soul to the list.”** Taking a breath, Corvi paused, clearing his throat when he felt that waver again. He needed to ask Blastus or one of the medics for something for that. **“A council was called of gummies from multiple cities, including Magician Destini Gummi of Gummadoon, Carpenter Lumina Gummi of Gummi Glen, Inventor Aadi Gummi of Ursalia, and Healer Sanjuna Gummi of Gummerset to discover an appropriate fate. Upon a debate of multiple days, they opted that a lengthy imprisonment would be appropriate until the means to heal her spirit was discovered.”**   
  
Corvi lost track of how much he read after that; it was a great bit of detail on the types of magic considered, why one was better than the other but nothing specific on how they worked nor how they were cast. They didn’t even go into detail on what type of confinement though it did appear that Daffodi of Gummi Glen and her family had a strong hand in helping prepare it. It was rare, even for gummies, to combine magic with every day things unless it was absolutely necessary. It was draining.  
  
All that the group of boys did manage to get from it was that the spells were immensely complex, requiring the wizards of all four gummi cities to cast! Each gummi city, at least back then, had at least 5 wizards so that meant it was a spell beyond a master spell…requiring 20 wizards! 20! Plus, the very idea of a spell beyond a master spell..  
As far as Corvi knew, only four of them existed and they were deemed usually too extreme to address. Truth be told, they were spells that didn’t really have a name per say. There were usual spells, advanced spells, and master spells and then…these four. To put it in context, the spell the five magicians of Gummadoon cast to banish it to the time stream was only a master spell. It didn’t touch the level of this confining spell…  
  
“20 wizards?” Toni spat out what they were all thinking. “Do we even have magic that strong?”  
  
Tavi bit her lower lip. “I think we do. I think. Auntie never talks about it but I…” she sighed and shook her head. “Maybe it’s just a stupid feeling but Destini did tell me that I would learn things. That’s somethin’ I’m almost certain of. That we have a lot more power than we think we do.” She almost found herself talking about what had happened with Toni’s mother but stopped herself. Toni was still sensitive on the topic (and understandably so) and aside from that, the fact that both her aunt and Berrybottom had come to confront her on it told her that such a thing was nearly unheard of. She didn’t entirely know what to make of it herself.  
  
“Well, our magic and technology was a key thing that made the stupid human-gummi wars to start with, right?” Cubbi cut in, his eyes deeply focused. If there was one thing he understood it was that the greed of humans had deeply contributed to the wars. Gruffi and Zummi had made sure that was deeply imbedded in his mind. That was one reason that Gruffi was so rightly stunned by the friendship offered them by Cavin and Calla. How could the same race that had been so locked on greed and conquest generate two people so devoid of it?  
  
The group of boys looked at Corvi, “It was, right Corvi?” Asked Flynn. “I mean, you were there, right?”  
  
Cubbi stared then remembered, of course, the dimensional traveling of Gummadoon. That would have meant Corvi was around. Right, he had also said he remembered when they were fighting Emi. Geez, dimensional and time spells were really confusing. All the same, he looked to Corvi and with a new light. So Corvi had lived through the first Gummi-Human Wars and then the second Great War that they had just survived? Gum, no wonder he acted like a little adult at times. It reminded Cubbi of Buddi in some ways. When he and Sunni had mentioned the way Buddi could be so “adult-like” sometimes to Ursa, as an offhand comment, when they had been living in Ursalia, her response had been that “the winds of life can keep you young or age you quickly.”  
  
Cubbi was finally starting to understand what she had meant.  
  
Sighing and running a hand through his long blond hair, Corvi breathed, “It was a mix of a lot of things, guys, like war always is. But yeah, that was a major driving point. Emi was another.”  
  
Toni stared, “So…Emi started the Gummi-Human Wars?”  
  
Shrugging, the teenager replied, “I only know what I heard the adults discussing. It sounded that she might have had some kind of hand in it.”  
  
Silence and not the good kind. The kind of silence that makes you uncomfortable and look for distraction from your own thoughts. It had been one thing to hear of all the horrific things she had done on her own. Hearing about all those gummies, and humans as well, dying, just for her own selfish ambition was unsettling enough. However, now, there was another factor poured in the equation: that Emi had contributed, significantly, to the break down of Gummi Human relations and created the war that sent their ancestors fleeing, Gummadoon disappearing into the time stream and the overall near decimation of their entire race.  
  
It made them all feel sick.  
  
Finally, after quite a while of sorting through the statements of pleading from the other gummies towards Emi, they reached the final portion. Clearing his throat to try and still the wavy tone, Corvi read “Daffodi Gummi suggested Gummi Glen as a means of supporting her prison, as it was believed her place of origin might have some influence on healing her heart—“  
  
“BOYS!”  
  
The squires jumped at the sudden shout of Gumlittle’s unmistakable voice. Luckily, as they all looked around, they realized the voice had come from a good ways down the halls.  Jumping to his feet, Toni ran to look out the window as they all realized with horrible abruptness that some light was filtering through the glass. How long had they been here? How long had it taken for them to be caught up with the trial? How long had they been sitting here? It was a bit past midnight when they came in here and it was already morning? They had purposely been trying to keep from being caught.  
  
“I’sau’ta!” Corvi cursed under his breath as he slammed the book shut, pausing long enough to point at the other boys, “THAT word you don’t need to know.”  
  
Managing not to panic, Cubbi grabbed Corvi’s arm as he went to stand up, “Wait a minute, maybe this is a good thing.”  
  
The other squires promptly regarded him as if he had grown two additional heads. Though Cubbi felt a tad embarrassed, he continued, eyeing Tavi, “You said yourself Tavi, that we need to get the adults to hear us out about this right?” he tapped the book in Corvi’s hand.  
  
Tavi nodded, “We need it. It’s gettin’ more and more serious.”  
  
Cubbi eyed her, taking into account the gravity of her voice more than anything. She had spoken about her aunt being tense and obviously frightened about this Emi, all from info that they were currently denied. It was so frustrating! They would help! They would! They could, if they were just given the chance. It was getting to the point where they had to make themselves be taken seriously. Surely, the knights would listen right? Sure, they had been told to leave Emi’s topic be more than once but if they explained themselves…  
  
“So, let’s tell the knights.”  
  
Silence, then finally Martinni answered “Well, I guess we could..”  
  
Toni scoffed “Great, and how many rules did you three break getting this book?”  
  
Tavi scowled “None, thank you very much. We TRIED doing it the better way but my aunt and the council isn’t listening to us.” Frowning, she had to admit she was hurt about that. Her aunt usually was so open and accepting. Granted, she knew she was frightened and she was very much convinced that her aunt’s latest escapade was the result of outside influence. While that lessened the sting a bit, the resulting emotion was a fear and realization that because of her aunt’s magical connection and position, she might not have been able to help her, even if she were able and willing to.  
  
Cubbi was right; they had to get someone to listen and if the council was out of the question…  
  
“Besides,” Flynn broke in, “Weren’t they just saying the other day about how important it was to communicate and that we are a team?”  
  
Cubbi frowned deeply “Yeah, plus they know some things. Look how many times they were mentioned. I bet they have all the rest of the info we need, we just have to put all of our information together!” He frowned again, scrunching up his face in thought, “Plus…they have a right to know she’s gonna come after them.”  
  
Toni eyed Cubbi skeptically, “You think they don’t know that? Says here in the trial that they were there when she made all those threats!”  
  
Cubbi locked eyes with Toni, “I know that. I also know adults act really weird when they get scared. I’ve seen it.” He looked at each of his friends in turn, “Am I right?”  
  
There was quiet a moment before, one after another, they nodded. It was true. Adults seemed to suddenly become overprotective or cranky or in some cases, completely distant. Martinni had seen his sister become cold, almost absent for the first two months after their parents passed away. She had pulled her way through it and apologized to him in turn, saying she should not have taken her fear out on him. Martin remembered distinctly wondering how silence equaled fear. When he was afraid, he was not shy about telling someone, about running to someone, seeking the comfort of their presence.  
  
But then….the Gummadoon knights. Who did they have to go to? The sudden realization made Martinni look at their mentors’ behavior in a whole new light, as well as their own. They were the knights of Gummadoon. The protectors of the city. Not only that but they were beyond simply the city’s protectors, they were the ultimate of the protectors, the best of the best, the highest ranked. Who did they have to go to? Granted, they worked with the council but that was different than having someone you could go to when you needed reassurance, when you needed fear cast away.  
  
Like the knights did for them all the time.  
  
Like three weeks ago, when he had taken off running because some stupid bee refused to leave him alone. He’d always detested bees and one frequently deciding to try and nest in his hair was enough to get his nerve on hair trigger, resulting in him rushing off the training field, screaming like he was being murdered. Ramsei had rolled his eyes but Gumlittle had laughed but he had not teased, nor had he tolerated any teasing. Plus, he chased the bee off and helped him to relax, though he did ask, “Need to help calm that phobia, Martin.” Not accusing, not yelling, simply factual. He had not rejected him pressing into his shoulder for some form of protection though.  
  
Similarly to Martinni, their youngest member, Flynn found himself pondering Cubbi’s words. Adults did act weird when they were scared. They couldn’t just break down crying…that would be really weird. After all, they were always the ones comforting THEM. There was just a few weeks ago, when the youngest squire had climbed up the trees in the courtyard, trying to dislodge a lost toy from its highest branches. He had lost his balance and plunged to the ground with a hideous screech only to land in Sir Blastus’ awaiting arms and slightly chastising tone about knowing when to ask for help. But, just like Gumlittle, he had not protested when Flynn had clung to him tightly a moment before making his way to the ground and the elder knight had ruffled his hair before dislodging their toy with his staff.  
  
Toni frowned. For all his outward appearance of wanting to keep this secret, he wanted the adults to tell them what to do. Gumlittle could always take any situation and make it better. Gum, look at the crap he had just recently been through and yet the elder gummi had yet to leave his side, had yet to be absent when he had needed him. Though Toni was utterly humiliated by all the things he could not do, Gumlittle was careful that his delicate pride was not damaged any further, including being there when those horrible memories came in the darkness of the night. Never asking, but always encouraging should Toni wish to speak, he would hold the boy tightly in his arms. Biting his lip in memory, Toni still was haunted by some dark unseen figure killing his dear mentor.   
  
Coldness settled over his heart; was that Emi, in some way, threatening? Sending out her dark presence?  
  
Cubbi had only been with Gummadoon for a few months but already they were so dear to him. Especially Plucki. Though he was still learning a lot about their ways, as well as about Plucki, he knew enough to know he was dear to his heart. Plucki had yet to steer him wrong. The Captain was firm but fair. He was determined at keeping others safe but he was also one who would listen, that much Cubbi was sure of. In fact, most adults were when you really got down to it. You just had to know the right way to get their attention, to get them to realize you were just as serious as they were.  
  
Plus, he had to admit that the brief reaction he had seen from Plucki regarding Emi…  
He wanted to protect him, as silly as that sounded. He needed to protect him. He would do no less for him.  
  
Corvi locked eyes with Cubbi. Oddly enough, this young cub didn’t seem to fully comprehend of the kind of danger they were facing. No, perhaps that was being unfair. Very few could truly comprehend the danger and horror Emi had brought with her. Truth be told, Corvi did remember more than he let on, though he tried to force the memories from his mind. He had been honest when he said the adults had tried to keep him out of the loop. Still, when your father was a knight and you were training to be one yourself, it was hard to stop some news from reaching your ears. He remembered distinctly some of the events this damned journal had reawakened:  
  
The decimation of Bera; Blastus had taken him there once, when he had been a young page. It had been rich with cubs, with lots of fun tunnels and plains to run and jump about in. In fact, there were so many cubs that the adults tended to take a communal rearing tactic, with any adult taking charge of any given cub. Blastus had chatted with the adult magihistorians and some of the kitchen folk about trade and news while he had laughed and wrestled with more cubs than he could recall the names of. Fighting a sudden urge of tears, he felt guilty of that. Was that all their clan had been reduced to? To be forever known as the clan of Bera, lost amid Emi’s rage? That was not right, it was not right!  
  
Were they to follow? Him? His brothers? His friends? His Blastus?  
  
Narrowing his eyes in new found resolve, he made a silent vow to his own heart: by his own breath, none of his loved ones would fall to Emi, none of them! If Fate deemed someone to be taken, it would him, not them. He had taken a vow of courage and honor when he became a page, as all potential trainees did but suddenly, it carried so much more meaning, so much more weight. As he realized in a rush of memories of old: the tales of cities falling, his father whispering to his mother in the dark of night of the danger slowly creeping closer to their major cities, of the parents of Sir Ecri and Sir Yaci slain in two different circumstances (one in battle, one helping rush cubs to safety from a coming battle), of the news of an attack on Ursalia and Blastus rushing off after his brothers, of sneaking out after his father when he went to fight a battle…  
  
He grabbed his head, suddenly as a surge of immense fear rushed over his heart, enough to send his memories to a dead halt. It was like he had hit a blockade. It caused a surge of fear and pain unlike he had felt before to clutch at his heart though and that paused him. It made him all the more uneasy, as any mysterious emotion will do to the soul. He frowned, tried to push past that. He remembered following his father onto the battlefield…and that he saw his father dead on the field. But, as to what happened or everything in between, that was all black. He frowned deeply, frustrated but the heart wrenching memory of his father’s death also helped cement the present. Despite how stressed he already was on the issue of his mother and brothers, they HAD to take charge here. They just had to.  
  
“Boys!” It was Sir Plucki calling this time, “Boys, report to the main sitting room, promptly!” His voice was stern but not angry. At least, they hoped it was just sternness.  
  
The group of boys glanced at one another, more than a bit nervous. They had not been sneaking around, not in the least but they DID want to help. Anyway that they were able to. What if the adults didn’t want them involved? They knew all too well that they would just continue to be involved anyway, even if it meant disobeying their teachers. They had never had to do that before, ever. It made them feel bad just thinking about but then, in the same moment, they dreaded their precious mentors being killed even more.  
  
With a nod of encouragement from Tavi, Cubbi took the book from Corvi and with a heavy step, the group headed toward the sitting room. As they made their way down the stairs as a group, Cubbi paused and turned, regarding the pink gummi girl at the top of the stairs, “Are you gonna come with us, Tavi?”  
  
The young magician shook her head, “No. I’m gonna go talk to my aunt again. You guys gotta make the knights listen. So I gotta make my aunt listen.”  
  
With a simple nod of acknowledgement, Cubbi rejoined his comrades in responding to their Captain’s command.  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Council Chamber**_  
  
Berrybottom had yet to leave Wooddale’s side, keeping a comforting arm around her shoulders. Aside from being his fellow gummi and councilor, she was also a dear friend to him, nearly like a sister. Her distress was heart wrenching to him but in her typical fashion, despite her guilty feelings regarding her interaction with young Tavi, she demanded that her fellow councilors be alerted. She was not a naïve fool. While being gummi, she tended to not possess nearly the amount of hubris that humans did, she was also well aware of her own abilities. She and Berrybottom were the oldest of the council, by far, and thus had the most experience. Several would also argue that Wooddale and Berrybottom tied for the rawest talent.   
  
The fact that Wooddale had been influenced from afar, even if it was only minimally was deeply disturbing. The fact that they could not pinpoint if it had been Emi or Lady Bane was even more disturbing. All of the current council remembered all too well the trials and horrors that followed Emi’s capture but none of them had been present when she was sentenced, despite three of them being council members. That had been left to their eldest members, all now gone. Most importantly, Destini had been knee-deep involved in the trials, the punishment. She had been careful to involve as few people as possible, to reduce the pain of having to go against one of their own kind but now, in hindsight, it was damaging to them. Exactly what limits did Emi’s prison have? COULD she have touched Wooddale, even remotely?  
  
“Wooddale?”  
  
Takinga breath to steady herself, she faced her fellow councilors. “I was able to catch it…”  
  
“It was NOT you.” Spinwillow tried to assure her, placing a comforting hand on her arm. “You know that young Tavi does not blame you.”  
  
“The poor dear is probably a mess of emotions,” Wooddale responded. “I am supposed to support her, as both a mentor and as an aunt.”  
  
“Which is why I’m not mad, Auntie.” A new voice cut into the cloud of tension, making the group of adults turn. Little Tavi stood at the doorway, smiling a faint but still reassuring smile, reminiscent of her mother’s, Wooddale’s departed younger sister. It was easy to get caught up in the horrors of the present day and forget how not so long it had been since Wooddale had buried her younger sister. And her brother-in-law and nephew. Little Tavi was truly all she had left. Magic was sensitive to emotion, especially powerful emotions. Stress tended to just make this worse.   
  
“Tavi..” Wooddale began but the young girl had already trotted in and thrown her arms around her aunt. The councilor responded in kind squeezing her tight into her chest, wanting to take her into her heart and shield her from all these horrific goings-ons. “Forgive me, dear child.”  
  
“Nothin’ you did, Auntie.” She assured the elder woman though it did feel good to get an apology, even if she knew it was not her aunt’s fault. She shifted her attention to the daunting emotion she could almost smell coming off her relative. “You can’t do that, Auntie, as much as you want to.” Tavi spoke out simply, her voice level. She knew her aunt hadn’t said anything about protection, or things like that but she could feel the desperation in her aunt’s embrace. It was one she had used once, when she had clung to her father before he would rush out to battle and yes, later her brother right before he dashed for the final time to the field. It was a hold that anyone could recognize. The raw strength and worry in a simple embrace, combined with an energy that flowed off her aunt as readily as her breaths. “That’s why I needa talk to you.” Pausing, she drew away from her aunt and addressed the whole of the council, “Rather you like it or not, Emi’s presence is here. I don’t plan to lose to it but you HAVE to listen to me. The knights are listening to the boys. We’ve…discovered some things.”   
  
Wooddale’s eyes grew wide, “Please, child, don’t tell me you went snooping about…”  
  
“Not snooping.” She protested. “I went exploring and looking for answers. I didn’t go anywhere I wasn’t allowed. I mean, yeah, I did summon destini—“  
  
Spinwillow leapt up, “Dear Gum, you summoned the spirit of Destini, young one?” When Tavi gave a simple nod, they continued, with Flurryfeather chiming in,  
  
“Such a task is a daunting one child! It takes years of practice, dedicated practice!” They protested, “To cast it wrong can damage both user and spirit!”  
  
Berrybottom raised a hand, asking for quiet, “Yet, she managed it.”  
  
Tavi pulled back from her aunt, saying, “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I had to, you know that Auntie, right?”  
  
The Councilor eyed her young niece, feeling again, the wash of immersive power pretty much flowing off her. Every word she spoke echoed with magical prowess that most trained for their entire lives and never achieved. Yet, it illuminated from her young relative with such natural energy, as if so much power was readily available, with little to no strain on her. Suddenly, Wooddale was reminded, again, that her niece had been with them when they had reverted Sir Blastus both to child form and back to adulthood. While she had fallen asleep following it, her magical ability had not faltered in the least. Now, she had summoned the spirit of one of their lost ones, not an easy feat, and she spoke of it as if it had been a simple fire lighting spell. Such a spell would have rendered any of them nearly incomprehensible as they lay on their beds. Then, there was the issue of Toni’s mother, Karleni. How had her niece had the ability to pull a lost soul away from the abyss so effortlessly?   
  
Rather abruptly, Wooddale came to the realization that her niece, despite her young age, easily outranked the entire room in magical ability. It very nearly was an aura that they could see. Eyeing her young charge a bit more, Wooddale could nearly see a faint golden hue that surrounded her, not unlike the hues that they generated when doing any form of magic. Her niece was saturated in it.Still, she forced herself to remain calm, for everyone’s sake, and took a steadying breath as she replied to her dear child, “I know you would not, dear child.”  
  
Tavi took a shuddery breath of her own, saying, “Auntie…” she shook her head and addressed the whole of the council, though her voice wavered somewhat. “I know you don’t want us all involved, because of her…” she narrowed her eyes, “But we’re involved anyway. We GONNA be involved anyway, whether you say we can be or not. I’ve see her, heard her.”  
Admitting it, out loud to someone other than her aunt seemed to take a huge weight from her chest despite the stifled gasps and ‘Oh Gum’s she heard. She knew her aunt had probably told Berrybottom and some of the other council members but somehow hearing it directly from her made it all the worse. Perhaps it was more because they knew Wooddale would have only given her limited information. For her to state she knew exactly who was contacting her…well, it was petrifying to be frank.  
  
When Tavi spoke again, her voice had an eerie echo to it, as her emotions sent her magic into a near frenzy. She knew it was visibly noticeable by the way the adults’ eyes widened and the way her hair suddenly whipped into her face. Taking another shaky breath, she closed her eyes, focusing. It took a lot of her strength to keep it in check. “If we’re gonna be able to protect everything and everyone that is special to us…you have to listen to me…” Looking up, near tears, she begged, “Please…”  
  


* * *

  
 _ **Gummadoon Sitting Room**_  
  
It was a deep sigh of relief when the boys filed back in through the door after Plucki’s third command. It was rare for them to take longer than one command, Gumlittle mused. All the same though, it was reassuring to see all of them alive and well. One might think them paranoid but given the type of threat that was practically at their door, one could hardly blame them. It would have been one thing to find one or even two of them gone, as it was not unusual for them to rise early or go to seek a drink or go to the bathroom but to find all of them gone, save for the two slumbering brothers of Corvi, was nerve-wracking.  
  
Still, they were unprepared for the solemn faces that greeted them as they walked into the room. The boys look nervous, as if they had been caught stealing or some other heinous crime. Martinni and Flynn stood silent as statues as Corvi stood behind them and Toni and Cubbi were walking slowly. Cubbi had a large book pressed deep into his chest but had his eyes directed at the floor. The very atmosphere was cold and friendless which was an unacceptable response to the knights. Despite what type of information or punishment they were deemed to spread, no matter what situation, it was to be delivered with understanding. Fear was not to be an option; their trainees were supposed to be able to come ot them with anything.  
  
Blastus offered the boys a smile. “You just frightened us, mes amis.” He attempted, “we are not used to all of you vanishin—“  
  
“What happened with Emi Gummi?” Toni interrupted.  
  
Deep silence followed and the knights heaved deep sighs. Their fears were to be realized it seemed. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Plucki remarked,  
  
“Is that the reasoning behind this disappearing act, my lads?” he inquired though not accusingly. He did give Corvi a look, as he thought the lad had understood the seriousness of their talk earlier but Corvi would not meet his eyes. The whole of the boys seemed spooked and unnerved and he seriously doubted that anything they had to tell them would set aside such fears. All the same, he would not insult them but trying to push aside a topic that was obviously on all of their minds and quite heavily at that.  
Plus, this WAS what he and his brothers had been discussing.   
  
Martinni answered “We know you were there, Captain.” He said softly, trying to remain as polite as possible. “We…”  
  
Toni interrupted again, “We’re sick of people tiptoeing around the topic. Tell us, already.”  
  
Plucki eyed his two brothers who gave a soft nod and Gumlittle spoke to Toni, “Patience, Sport. We won’t discuss it here, not with little ears.” He gestured to the still slumbering brothers on the couch, “Let’s go to your office, Plucki and settle this issue.”  
Without another word, the group made their way down the hall and into those large oak doors.   
  
Even Corvi looked uncomfortable but each of the cubs found a spot to sit or stand. Cubbi stayed quiet throughout the whole thing which was more than enough to make Plucki unnerved. He had learned long ago that such a child as Cubbi was never still or quiet. All the same, as they closed the door behind them, the three Gummadoon knights took their stance in front of Plucki’s desk, suddenly seeming much taller, much sterner and much older.  
  
“We did not mean to keep you in the dark, mes amis,” Blastus began “Not without good reason at any rate.”  
  
“We’re sure some dark tales have met your ears. We heard the same horrific stories as children.” Gumlittle added, “You cannot hold it against us for trying to spare you from it.”  
  
“But things are different now.” Cubbi finally spoke. “You can’t keep these things secret when they’re happenin’.” He protested, still clutching the book like a shield. “Emi’s still alive.”  
  
“Yes,” Plucki admitted, “She is.”  
  
Toni eyed his captain, “And she isn’t exactly being quiet.”  
  
Gumlittle set his stern eyes on the boy, “Toni, you aren’t talking like someone whose ears have merely heard rumors.”  
  
Quiet, then silence as the group of boys exchanged uneasy looks. Plucki folded his arms, fear of what might have met their ears and WHY such things were being shown to them throbbing his every thought. “Boys, we are willing to be clean with you, as you have requested of us and because you are right in that we cannot keep such secrets in this type of scenario,” he paused and eyed Cubbi in particular. “But, you must also be clean with US about what you have heard and under what means you even dared to pursue it!”  
  
Quiet again for a long moment before Cubbi stated “Tavi.”  
  
Plucki settled his eyes on his squire and gestured him forward as no other was speaking, “What of Tavi, my young knight?”  
  
Getting a bit of bravery from that title, Cubbi locked eyes with his Captain. “She hears her, sees her.” Taking a breath, Cubbi opted to go the route  of removing a bandage, to just get everything out in the open, “That was the first clue. I wanted to help her. She was scared and I wanted to make sure that nothing else happened. Then Tavi contacted Destini to try and get us some more info and she said to seek out her old mentor, then, the issue with Toni…” he took a breath but felt better as Toni nudged him to go on, “and we knew something weird had to be going on because Toni would never do that kind of stuff and his mom would never be that mean so we figured it had to be something magical so we tried to get more information. We were hopin’ maybe we could help find out what was allowing all this stuff to happen so we could fix it and stop anymore bad stuff…and Tavi found this book.”  
  
At that, the cub held the old relic out to his mentor who took it with gentle hands. He flipped through it, with his brothers looking over his shoulders. Given how abruptly they had stopped, the magical words were still deeply engraved in the pages. Cubbi went on, looking at his fingers as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, “We…we don’t want anything to happen to you.”  
  
“Any of you,” Flynn managed, “She’s gonna come after you again if she gets out.”  
  
“She even says so.” Martinni added, “In plain black and white, she names you all as her first target and if she is already doing all this bad stuff how long until she breaks out completely? We have to stop that from happening!”  
  
“Boys,” Plucki’s voice was strained but also very deeply touched, “how much of this book have you read?” He was astounded, and pleased by this find. How valuable! What luck! There were dozens of other answers this book could provide! There was no mistake on that. However, just from the little bit he had skimmed, it had such horrific images. Such horrible messages…how much had their young lads absorbed? They had spoken of specific events that only a deep investigation of this journal could have provided. How much of her horrors were they aware of?  
  
Blastus chimed in “And how, I might add. It’s all in Old Gummi. It’s tres valuable, make no mistake boys but—“  
  
The group of boys looked towards one another again, nervously then to Corvi who had been silent this entire time.   
  
Locking eyes with his mentor, he responded, with perfect pronunciation, “<Emi Gummi is not the only one who knows Old Gummi. Whether you like it or not, Sir Blastus, Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle, we’re involved now. A knight’s duty is to protect. Including each other.>”


	27. Chapter 27

The wave of relief that washed over all in the Gummadoon knights' office set up an unseen but very much felt barrier of trust, support, and hope. Very much felt and very much needed. Cubbi didn't know what Corvi said but he recognized strength and conviction and the great sense of unshakable right carried in the message to bolster the relief of simply revealing all to their trusted mentors. Despite everything, a moment of clarity struck the pink-furred cub; a moment in which he saw past all the fear and felt that they were going to win.  
  
"Yeah, what he said..." Toni chimed in. "And we've heard a lot of what the book had to say."  
  
"It's more than that..." Cubbi spoke up through his miasma of clarity. "That book has the trial of Emi, sure, but it's a magic book. Whatever we wanna know, if it knows, it'll tell us. We just have to ask it. It's told us nearly everything we know. We know Emi wasn't born a heartless killer. We know who Emi's mom was, and that she was a powerful magician. What we haven't gotten to yet was how she was imprisoned and if there's any way to strengthen that prison again, or even where she's kept exactly. The book DID mention they were probably going to store her in Gummi Glen..." He couldn't help a shudder at the thought that, all this time, the only evil gummi ever to have existed had been housed somewhere in his very home. Was that why Gruffi and the others told them not to go snooping into old gummi passages and the Great Gummies stuff was to be left alone most of the time? Did Gruffi even know? Probably not. Even Gruffi wasn't that old. Was Grammi? Zummi?  
  
Cubbi felt a hand on his shoulder, then another. Corvi was at his left, and Toni at his right. The support of his peers -- and now his hero knights -- made him smile, despite everything.  
  
The silence from their elders was merely their way of processing everything so far divulged. "We can ask literally ask this book anything?"  
  
"Sure. Give it a try." Cubbi answered Sir Plucki.  
  
The knight opened the book to a blank page. "Who are you and where is Emi Gummi held right now?"  
  
Cubbi and Corvi waited patiently. Everyone else waited impatiently. They hadn't seen the book appear words like he and Corvi had. Sir Plucki had just finished a sigh in which Cubbi was sure the knight would have called it a bluff of some kind. Cubbi didn't doubt what he'd seen with his own eyes but worried that the book would stop working for some reason and THEN what would he do? Then the rosy-hued glow appeared and inked script once more flowed beautifully across the page in two short sentences.  
  
I am the embodiment of the knowledge of Wizard Merlinni Gummi and you are not yet ready for such an answer as Emi Gummi's current location. Please hand me back to Cubbi.  
  
Sir Plucki blinked in astonishment at the words -- stunned not just by the obviously powerful nature of the tool in his hands but that it appeared to be intelligent and was requesting something of HIM! Taken aback, the knight Captain handed the book over to Cubbi.  
  
His two brother knights hurried over for a read just as Cubbi read it to himself.Stifling a laugh, the cub let out a great grin. He turned the book their way for all to see the text and told his fellows and mentors, "See? Even the book knew you might not listen to us all the way. Yer too clouded, too scared. We get it, we do! But if we work together, lean on each other, then it'll all work out. I can feel it. We have an idea of what it took to defeat her last time but if we use all of our resources, and all of us, I know we can do whatever needs doing."  
  
Sir Plucki glanced at his fellow knights and couldn't help a smile. Perhaps that's what was truly needed after all? Is that what they had to begin with that helped defeat her? Just a lot of faith in each other?  
  
"And you say Tavi's heavily involved as well? Where is she now?"  
  
"Talking with the Gummadoon Council." Cubbi hoped she was having at least as much luck as they were.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
The magical energy sparked from her fingertips as her emotions rose unbidden. Desperate fear had clamped hold of Tavi and it fed the power in unexpected and unwelcome ways, which only incited further fright.  
  
Calmly, Councilor Wooddale took the cub's hands. "Tavi... Niece... It's alright."  
  
Berribottom put a hand around the shaken young wizardess. Recognizing Wooddale's tactic to calm the young one, he added a smile. "And we're all ears."   
  
Within three deep breaths and surrounded by open and listening adults, Tavi calmed and the abberant display of magic dissipated.    
  
"Th-thanks. I... It gets to me sometimes, all of it." The cub hung her head at her inability to control her growing powers, let alone the rising situation necessitating the use of them.  
  
Her Aunt Toffi let out a lofty laugh and hugged Tavi. "My dear, I am amazed still that you struggle less than we who have been through this before."  
  
"Perhaps that's why we may need the young ones..." Councilor Berrybottom said in reflection. "We've seen, we've been through it all. We're... we're afraid of her in ways Tavi is not." He looked to the gummi girl and smiled. "Now, child, we're listening. Tell us everything."  
  
A great breath of relief escaped Tavi. Finally. Finally, everything was beginning to look up.   
  
Outside, the roll of thunder grew further and further away.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane's Castle_**  
  
Pouring over countless books and scrolls, actually studying the work of other sorcerers, Lady Bane's frustration grew to epic levels. Her poor troggles fled from her direct gaze but knew to flee completely would exact even greater wrath so they stood firm, but very much busy-looking.  
  
Dodging a  physically-hurled master edition of "Sorcerer's Compendium", a young male troggle literally dove out of its way.  
  
"Incompetence!" shrieked the railing sorceress. "Mother can't have been the only one to perfect the technique!" Her mind awhirl, Lady Bane balled her manicured hands into fists. It couldn't be! Surely another look at Zorlock's pilfered manuscripts...  
  
The dark sorceress rushed to her podium, flipped through one of her most valued posessions feverishly, only to come up empty-handed once more.   
  
There had to be a way. If Mother could do it, so must she! The problem was that the damnable body seemed permanently linked to the original gummi's soul. Separating them completely was easy. Getting complete control over it was not so. It fought her very will, as if it knew she didn't belong but hadn't the means to kick her out so it simply gummed up the works; figuratively speaking.   
  
That old echo of her mother's words came to her again. That she didn't understand the link gummies had with themselves. Mother said it shortly before her own presumed success. Presumed in that Mother never spoke of possessing anyone again after that -- living or dead -- and shortly after, she never saw her mother again. Disappeared but not missed and never forgotten...  
  
Lady Bane shook out of the memory with a brief shudder. Never mind all that. She had to concentrate on this matter. She KNEW it was her way to get in, get back at them for all the trouble they'd caused, and perhaps even to surpass her mother. Oh, the gloating she'd concoct at such an accomplishment! Renewed passion and glee filled her but she knew it was a distraction, all of it a distraction! She must focus. Calm, focus...  
  
The body stood in the center of the room. She looked on it with refreshed eyes, and perspective. A dawning idea poked up from her frustrated search. If... If the soul could not be completely severed -- if the link was that strong... Was that the trick, Mother? Were you not perfect? Could you NOT sever the link? Was that the real trick?  
  
A truly grand grin laced Lady Bane's mouth from one perfect cheek to the other. I have you, Mother. I understand and soon I'll have them and all their secrets.  
  
The sorceress's gaze and evil grin turned slowly toward the trapped soul suspended from the crystal jar containing both it and the entrapment spell keeping it separated. Time to let a little seep out and see what happens?

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummi Glen_**  
  
“Grammi?”  
  
The elderly gummi turned, smiling briefly before her smile turned huge at who was coming in, “Sunni! You’re back early?”  
  
The teenaged girl gave a small smile at the reaction before rushing to embrace the motherly gummi. “Yeah, I meant to send a message to you but figured I could just show up.”  
  
The motherly gummi smiled again, as she felt she could not have stopped if she had wanted to, and guided the girl to the kitchen, “Have some cookies, sweetie.”   
  
Sunni took the offer this time. While Grammi was still not a great cook, with so many gummies to exchange recipes with, her cookies, as well as most of her other dishes, had improved dramatically.  
  
“Thanks” the girl responded, savoring the taste a moment, “What did I miss?”  
  
“Nothin out of the ordinary. Gusto’s trying to convince Gruffi to let him redo some of the rooms…again.” Grammi rolled her eyes a little bit at the last statement. She appreciated the artist’s desire to redecorate, to add ‘flare’ as he called it but after the third time, it became bothersome but she was loathe to tell him that. She didn’t want to kill his artistic drive. She got a kick out of it honestly. It was just some days it would be nice if the ‘muses’ as Gusto called them, would slow down a little bit.   
  
Giggling, Sunni was glad to see not all had changed.  
  
So much had changed in the Glen in just these few months, so many great things. In fact, as she had entered, she had seen so many faces, so many gummies, of all colors, all ages, all genders.  For the first time in her life, she was coming home to a Glen that was full of life, full of new and old faces, full of energy. She had only imagined it a few years ago and seeing it in reality was a thousand times better. She still wasn’t used to it.

Though, she had not been home to experience it very much. She had initially met their long lost cousins, though there were far too many to name. They had swiftly begun to repair the old halls and Gruffi found himself insanely busy, making and repairing furniture though at least he had aid in some of their cousins. Sunni had immediately latched onto a few of the girls, namely Berri and Pearli, two young teenagers from a small fishing sect of New Gumbrea. The three of them had bonded quickly over their desire to make different designs of clothes and hair. Out of the new gummies, Sunni probably considered them her closest friends thus far.   
  
After the initial set up, Sunni had traveled with Gruffi and Zummi to help the Barbics get their Woods reestablished though they found that there was little they needed to help with. All the same, Gruffi offered his skills for repairing some huts and other equipment. Oddly enough, he and Ursa were not as at odds as they used to be. Sunni wondered if it was being back in their home and thus back in their element but she suspected it was something deeper. She had noticed Gruffi’s attitude had changed towards the Barbics, slightly, even since they had returned at the end of the last war a few months ago. It wasn’t the return of other gummies either. Gruffi had seen something before they rejoined them. Sunni wasn’t sure what but it sure had an effect on him.  
  
In any event, Sunni had requested to stay a bit longer with the Barbics and help with a few smaller things while Gruffi went back to the Glen. Though the gruff Glen had been reluctant, he had agreed. Sunni found a few days turning into a week, then two. It was then that she realized she should head back home. Truthfully, she had stopped being “helpful” around week two. However, Buddi was so excited to show her about, to introduce her to what had been lost and was now being rebuilt. She found herself easily caught up in his excitement and truthfully, she was curious about the Barbic way of the life, the way they had lived before losing everything.   
  
She had learned how to shoot a bow and arrow (with a lot of help from Buddi and she did not miss Ursa’s half-hidden smile at it), how to track some small animals and how to cook without a fire in that final week. She felt independent and strong, like anything was a possibility for her. It was such a stark contrast to life at the Glen, though she did admit it felt alien and a bit nerve wracking at times, not knowing what to expect. She had returned to the Glen for a few weeks, taking the time to tell her new friends all about her experiences before she found another excuse to go visit the Barbics again, for a few days. Then, she returned home again to leave a few weeks later again. This pattern had continued throughout the past few months, since their cousins had returned. She knew Gruffi was unsure about it but every time she left for Barbic Woods, she caught Grammi and Zummi sharing a sappy smile as they bid her farewell. All the same though, after her last visit, she had to admit she felt a bit homesick and as such, was glad to be returning.   
  
It was good to be home though she would be lying if she said she felt as at home as she used to. Maybe it was part of growing up or just because the Glen was so much more alive than when she was younger but she suspected it was a mix of a lot of things. For one thing, she missed Buddi, more than she ever remembered missing him before. While she was excited to be home, as well as to get re-accustomed with their long lost cousins and while she felt like a trip to Dunwyn was in order soon to see the now very-busy Princess/Queen Calla (according to the young girl, she was acting as queen but it would not be official until her coronation in a few weeks, a part of Dunwynian tradition apparently) she missed Buddi a lot. Her new friends had been quick to tease her about “always runnin’ off to that ‘bad boy’ boyfriend of yours,” but she took it in stride. While Buddi and she had yet to establish a relationship ‘name’ per say, she was fairly certain they were hovering on the ‘boyfriend-girlfriend’ stage. It was exciting and scary all at once.   
  
So, while she missed Buddi, that was not really what was bugging her. The uneasiness was from something else. It felt like something was missing.  
  
Okay, to be more accurate, someONE.  
  
Cubbi.  
  
It was so weird, even with all these new cubs that had come back with their cousins, it didn’t feel the same without Cubbi there. Walking down the hall, she had paused by Cubbi’s bedroom, still unused to the idea of it being empty. She still expected him to barge in while she was trying to dress or talk with someone and be his annoying-hyperactive self. Oddly enough, she found herself missing it. She never thought she would WANT someone to interrupt her time with stupid talks about battling imaginary dragons but she did miss it.  
  
Taking a moment to smile at the memories from just a few months ago, she saw that same melancholy look in Grammi’s eyes so she took another cookie, hoping to ease her heart some. “You miss Cubbi?” The young girl inquired knowing the answer without even looking. Grammi had always been the easiest to read but Sunni had learned over time how to read GRUFFI and if she was capable of reading that stubborn one, Grammi was a piece of cake. Though, it really wasn’t a challenge. Even as she had walked in, she had heard some of their cousins commenting that Grammi really “missed her baby.”   
  
Grammi blinked, surprised that the girl had brought it up but as she looked about her kitchen, she could see why. Though she tried to hide it, she subconsciously found herself pulling out old projects that Cubbi did or making his favorite treat, the gummi pops, even though a lot of the cubs here now didn’t eat them (said they were too sweet, amazingly). More often than not, when they gathered for meals, which involved lots of tables and dishes now to her absolute joy, she still found herself starting down that hallway or heading for the surface to call Cubbi in from the trees, only to have Gruffi or Zummi remind her that Cubbi was in Gummadoon now. She saw the same solemn look on Gruffi’s face more days than she thought she would, more so now with Sunni off visiting the Barbics so much. Though the girl would not admit it, she and Zummi knew young love when they saw it and Sunni was knee-deep in its clutches. Gruffi had initially pushed his missing Cubbi aside, as was his nature, but with Sunni gone much of the time and Gruffi still a bit uneasy with making new friends among their cousins, it was easy to see the sadness poke its head up.   
  
“Every day.” Grammi’s answer sounded so downtrodden yet not necessarily depressed, just sad. Despite the emotional weight, she put an arm around the teenager with a slight upturn of her lips, “Gruffi does too though the stubborn ol’ bear won’t admit it. I still catch him wandering into Cubbi’s old room or sayin’ he has to go track him down…” Grammi let out a hefty sigh as she walked the small distance and sat at the table as Sunni took a seat next to her. “I know knighthood isn’t an easy path but I haven’t heard from Cubbi in weeks. I know he’s busy but Land Sakes, it wouldn’t kill him to give some contact.” Her face seemed a bit irritated for a moment then melt away to a small grin as she let out another deep exhale, “Unless he’s giving those poor knights a run for their money,” the elderly gummi surmised.   
  
Sunni pondered this a moment(and she had to admit, giggled at bit as she imagined Cubbi’s energy in Gummadoon) then gave the motherly gummi a grin, “So, why not do what you used to do, Grammi?” the teen suggested with a wily twinkle to her eyes, “Why don’t you go to him?”  
  
Grammi jerked a bit at the suggestion. Truth be told, she had been discussing this very possibility with Zummi. Zummi seemed to be pressing it though he wouldn’t tell her why. Grammi knew Zummi well enough to know it had little to do with wanting to visit, though that was certainly a partial reason, but more to do with something else. Zummi couldn’t give her a good reason though, just kept saying it seemed like a good time. That had become his mantra, “it’s a good time,” and while Grammi suspected there was more to it, she also knew that sometimes, as part of being a magician, you just ‘felt’ things, often times without having a good explanation.   
  
Now, with Sunni’s suggestion as well, plus Gruffi’s silent hints that he was interested in seeing Cubbi once again, she had to admit her heart swelled at the thought of seeing the youngest of them again. Oh, the things he probably had to tell them!  
Knowingly, just from her smile and the light in her eyes, Sunni stood up and said, “I’ll tell the others to pack..”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon, Council Chambers_**  
  
Well, if the air got any thicker, you could have sliced it with a knife, Cubbi was fairly certain.  
  
Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad because there certainly was a sense of communication and cooperation, which was a huge improvement, but Cubbi didn’t like seeing adults frightened and quite frankly, it was just really weird. The knights had led the way down to the council chamber fairly quickly, with the squires following closely, Cubbi still clutching the book. Luckily, Tavi had managed to have just as much luck as they had. Finally! It was about time they were due for a break.   
  
Cubbi stole a glance around. He had not really been in the Council Chambers before, not for any length of time at any rate. He remembered seeing them briefly, when he had taken a tour when he first came to Gummadoon. However, sitting in it, actually conveying with ruling party of Gummadoon was another issue altogether. With a quick glance about, he saw the other squires with the exception of Corvi had the same awestruck look he must have carried. This was normally a no-cub zone so to be allowed in and actually allowed to participate was a great privilege.  
  
As it currently stood, Tavi had told the council what they had discovered just when the knights and squires had come in. So, at least they were all on the same page now.  
Berrybottom shook his head but with a smile, “Incredible, children. Truly incredible. And all under our very noses at that.”  
  
“Not purposely,” Tavi cut in, wrinkling her nose as she folded her arms across her chest.

Wooddale gave her niece a gentle look, “Yes, and we apologize it had to be so, child.”

Sir Plucki cleared his throat and inquired, “Indeed, we encourage you to always be able to come to us. It disheartens me to see you felt unable to.”  
  
Cubbi frowned, but not for the reason the knights thought. He wasn’t angry at the knights or the council. Not really. He had seen what fear could do and it made you do really stupid stuff sometimes. However, his frown was misinterpreted and Sir Gumlittle inquired,

“Why the solemn face, lad? Still hiding some anger at us under that hat of yours?”  
  
Cubbi flushed deep red and replied, “No.” Embarrassed, he addressed his mentor simply, “What’s ‘disheartened’ mean?”  
  
The room was quiet a moment but then Blastus chuckled, lightly. Oddly enough, that simple statement broke the tension like a hammer on glass. Why, they really were not sure but the sudden pressure seemed alleviated as they were reminded that while the threat was real, immense and truly to be dreaded, they were among friends, among family and that strong bond would carry them through. Blastus was quick to speak out after his chuckle though, seeing the boy’s face grow a bit darker,  
  
“Non, non, I am not laughing at you, mon ami. I am just grateful to be reminded of the strong group we are blessed with.” Blastus’ comment filled all their hearts a moment, refreshing a sense of hope and strength that was sorely missed.   
  
Plucki jostled his squire’s shoulder gently, “And it means to discourage, lad. Never be afraid of asking questions, no matter how foolish you think they may be, understand?”  
  
Nodding, the cub felt his cheeks cool somewhat and he felt inclined to add, “Couldn’t really blame you all for being so secretive.” He grinned at the book that now sat before them on the table, “Even the book said it—you were afraid. I don’t know a whole bunch” he swore he saw Plucki give him a faint scowl at that but continued, “but I know that adults get all…”  
  
“Weird?” Toni cut in.  
  
Cubbi nodded, “Weird, when they get scared.” He addressed the whole of the group, “And honestly, the older you are, the weirder you act and you guys are old.”  
  
The statement was out of his mouth before he could stop it, as was a common problem with him but it seemed even worse now!, and he saw Corvi and Martinni slap their foreheads before the heat came to his face again and he suddenly decided that burying his face in his hands was an excellent idea. He felt a gentle chuckle next to him and then Sir Plucki’s hand ruffling his hair, “No offense taken, young knight.”  
  
“Indeed,” Councilor Flurryfeather cut in with a small laugh as well, “There is much we could stand to learn from our young.”  
  
A bit comforted by this, it was a great relief still when the door to the chamber opened, and two cook assistants entered, bringing trays of muffins, croissants and mugs of tea and juice. “The cooks insisted,” they explained as they swiftly made their exit.  
  
The treats were not rejected in any sense. The cubs were quick to forget their practiced decorum and snag the berry muffins and juices without another word, though Corvi restrained himself as Tavi reached across and snatched the blueberry one, biting into it in almost the same movement. Had it really been so long that breakfast was now happening? Glancing at the clock, Corvi saw it was nearly 8:30 in the morning! Wow…they had laid down yesterday at about 10 or so after the stories and it had been about midnight when he and Cubbi had snuck out. The others must have joined them not too long after so, all things considered, with the exception of 2-3 hours, they had been awake for 24 hours! No wonder Cubbi was starting to slack in the restraint department.  
  
“So…”Corvi cut in, breaking the silence, “We know what she did…”  
  
The council nodded solemnly. “Does the book tell you the extent of her crimes, young Corvi?” Berrybottom asked.  
  
Corvi gave a nod and took a sip of a mug of tea (an advantage of being the oldest) saying, “Over 11,000 gummies killed, and probably around 3,000 humans.”  
  
Toni spoke up “And it looks like she-“  
  
Gumlittle reached across and put a hand over his squire’s mouth, “Chew, swallow THEN add your input, young squire.”  
  
Toni did so, saying, “I was saying, it looks like she had a hand in pushing the human-gummi wars.”  
  
Martinni nodded “If what the book says is right, she wasn’t just a gummi problem, right?”  
  
The knights nodded solemnly. “Indeed, she caused issue for human and gummi, alike.”  
  
Cubbi frowned, “Would the humans be able to tell us anything?” he inquired “I mean, anything we don’t know anyway?”  
  
Spinwillow gave a shake of the head “Possibly but unlikely. So much was lost to rumor in those days.” A deep sigh resonated about the room, “_We_ let so much fall to rumor, out of fear, out of horror, out of so many things…”  
  
Cubbi interrupted, though he was trying to keep himself still sounding dignified. He had embarrassed himself enough already! “Can’t change that now.” He stated the obvious. “We’re tryin’ to fix it. Can we figure out what we do know and how to get to know more?”  
  
Tavi bit her lip but was quick to add her own input, “So…do we ask where she is then? Or what happened at her sentencing?” That seemed the next logical step to her. They all knew what she had done. Now, where was she? How was she imprisoned and why was her prison weakening? Why now?  
  
The room was silent and then gradually, one by one, everyone nodded. The time had come to really move forward, to address why they were all gathered here. They all knew the dnager, as much as they had wished to spare their little ones but their bravery and relentlessness was a welcomed relief, like a balm to an exposed wound. The adults drew on that comforting energy and it reminded them of the strongest of spirits they had all once possessed. Perhaps they could reach those reserves of courage once again. It seemed believable, for the first time in a long while!  
  
Cubbi, being the closest, took the book opened it, saying “Okay, Book, what happened after the trial? What happened to Emi?”  
  
The book was silent a long moment then gradually words began to appear, slowly. “Imprisonment was determined to be the best course of action. Magical imprisonment was the only option available. A grand total of 20 wizards cast Emi Gummi into a magical prison, kept locked by an external key. Once imprisoned, her final location was entrusted to her mother clan of Gummi Glen under the guidance of Lumina Gummi.”  
  
Toni eyed his friend as the book turned blank again, “Lumina?” he questioned. “Who is Lumina,  Book?”  
  
The words wrote across the page:  I have limited knowledge of Lumina. She was one of the advisors from Gummi Glen and one of their carpenters.” The book spelled out, “She was involved with creating Emi Gummi’s prison and worked closely with the wizards to create the key. My knowledge of Lumina Gummi ends here.”  
  
Corvi frowned as did the entire room at this. It seemed they had something to go off of but with limited means to do anything. “Do you know anything about anyone named Lumina, Cubbi?”  
  
Frowning, the cub let out a deep sigh, as the realization that he knew so LITTLE about his clan’s past hit him like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t for lack of wanting to know either. He remembered asking Grammi and few times about the others, the gummies that used to fill the Glen. She had told him some, though not much. She claimed it was painful and he did not doubt that but all the same, he knew almost nothing. He didn’t even know names! All the gummies here seemed to know so much more about their past than he did. He didn’t think much about his past, or at least he had not before now and suddenly realizing how ignorant he was…  
  
Well, he supposed he understood why Zummi clung to their knowledge of the Great Book once they got it!  
  
Feeling a bit, what was that word Sir Plucki used—yes, disheartened, that was it!- the cub responded, his ears drooped, “I don’t know none of the old gummies, Corvi. I don’t even know what my mom or dad’s name was.”  
  
Silence.  
  
Plucki reached over and squeezed his squire’s shoulder. It was evident the cub felt a sense of failure. “Not your fault, my lad.”  
  
Cubbi took a breath and remarked, “I bet Zummi and Grammi would know though.” Here, he wrinkled his brow, feeling a sense of…well, almost betrayal. It was his home! How could he just NOW be hearing about this? Did Tummi know? Sunni? Heck, did Gruffi know? He wasn’t that old so he would have had to be told…had someone told him? Was his entire clan keeping such a huge secret from him? From the others? Why? What was the reason? He knew he was young but c’mon, couldn’t they have said SOMETHING?  
  
Berrybottom broke the silence. “Perhaps we could contact your clan, young Cubbi?”  
  
Now, the boy’s eyes lit up a bit. As much as he enjoyed life in Gummadoon, even with the troubles, he did miss his old clan and it shouted from his eyes. A nod from Plucki and the others confirmed this as a course of action and then the talk shifted, to their options once information was obtained. Cubbi tried to participate but his mind was doing flips at the thoughts of seeing his old clan again. Oh, he would be able to tell them so much! What he had learned, how well he was learning and wow oh wow, he could actually wait now! Oh, Gruffi would be so impressed. And the stuff he had learned lately, even if it was scary, it was so much stuff about his clan he didn’t know. All because of Corvi knowing—hey, maybe Corvi could teach him some Old Gummi to really throw his clan for a loop—  
  
Gradually, Cubbi’s racing thoughts grew grey and weathered. The lack of sleep, despite the sugar burst he had been given, was catching up to him again, as it was to the other boys as well. He could see Flynn swaying and Toni would keep grabbing more juice (and swiping sips from Corvi’s tea). Adrenaline rush eventually left him and despite putting his own input at what course of action to take next, or at least attempting to without sounding stupid and drunk, he found he was resting his head against Plucki’s chest and gradually the council chamber faded into misty haze and then nothing.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
Hissing through her teeth, Lady Bane released her control on the cub. Luckily, walking on atrophied muscles made the cub pretty useless when she released her control. It had started so simply, letting a little of the cub’s soul back in but eventually the sorceress realized that unless the entire soul was present, the movements were choppy, control nearly impossible. It certainly would not have fooled anyone, least of all the gummies that knew this cub as well as they did. When she allowed the entire soul to rejoin, the fluid movements returned. The access to the memories to answer as he would have, the little tics and habits all were opened to her.  
  
However as she wiped her forehead, she realized all too fully that in order for this deception to be successful, she needed total control. She had to look out through this cub’s eyes, direct his muscles on her own. She needed full on possession, which unfortunately meant she would need to abandon her own body. The idea of doing so had always been a possibility but it had been one that she had been actively trying to avoid. If anything happened to her own body, she would be stuck in this blasted cub’s body. The idea of never again possessing her beautiful youthful figure, especially now that it truly was youthful again, was anxiety-producing. She would need to take the deepest of precautions. Looking towards the east, she saw the sun was creeping up, she would need to act quickly. The less quickly she moved, the closer the gummies came to uncovering her plan.  
  
Glancing at the cub at her feet, she managed a disgusted snarl. The cub was glaring back at her and though he could not stand as of yet, his muscles were repairing quickly. If she did not take him soon, she would look her chance.  
  
Grasping the cub by his hair, she dragged him down the hall, snorting lightly at his pathetic attempts to break free. His little punches would not have done much if he were at full strength. As he was now, they felt akin to a fly’s flutters against the skin. Annoying and bothersome but easily ignored and no determent. Nonetheless, she would not take the cub with her all the way, just close enough that she could complete locking away her youthful form before taking off to bring ruin to her enemies.  
  
Down and down the halls they went, from floor to floor until they came to the uppermost level, beyond her usual wanderings, near the back. Here, she had not set foot in over six centuries and it still unnerved her. Most people, when visiting the rooms at which they grew and learned, would be caught up in warm waves of nostalgia. However, she loathed this part of the palace. It was the only part of her home where no Troggel, servant, guest or any life ever entered, resulting in a large room coated in dust and aged time.   
Tossing the cub to her feet, she ignored his strangled coughs as he stirred up some of the dirt on the ground. Walking to the wall, she pressed a sequence of indents as the side panel beside a mirror slid aside revealing a hidden walkway. Slipping through, as silent as a shadow, she made her way swiftly through the dark halls, slipping down one hall and then another before finally stopping before one closed door. Taking a breath, ignoring the pounding of her heart, she pushed open the door. Closing her eyes briefly to block out the old memories, she ignored the old children’s books she passed, ignored the beginner’s results of magic that decorated the wall and took a seat then lay down upon the bed.   
  
Normally the dirt and dust would have made her shriek but she forced herself to remain calm before chanting a simple but strong protection spell. It settled over her body like a mist, turning her vision misty. Closing her eyes completely, she set her sight on that damned little cub in her halls. She forced herself to link to his body, to focus on making his limbs hers, to make his memories her toy. To completely and utterly own him…  
  
  
  
It took some time to adjust but the cub’s eyes opened. They blinked, still unused to light, after having been dead for several months. Irritating and they burned a little.  
Yes! Pain, she was processing pain. Looking downward, she clenched and unclenched her hands, delighting at the green furred fingers curling in and out. Standing was a bit harder, as the knees and muscles were still weak from lack of use. They shook like an old woman’s and she hated that notion. The idea of being old…she shuddered. A few strand of green hair draped into her eyes and she pushed them back with a simple gesture. Yes, yes, yes! Complete and total control! Now, could she…  
  
Yes! Success! With nary a bit of strain, she focused on memories, pushing aside her own and invading the spirit of the one she owned. She saw faces, heard information:  
  
Gumlittle, Cub calls him ‘Little. Used to run to him with the littlest thing, was trained in weaponry by—  
  
 **GET OUT!**  
  
The sudden resistance came so quickly and out of the blue that the cub tumbled to the ground, smacking his face and earning a split lip on the hard marble floor.  
  
 **GET OUT**  
  
Blast it! That damned cub was annoying. But his will was strong. It was not like when she had moved his body from her own. Then, it had been difficult, like pushing through molasses. This was a different kind of difficult. The closest thing she could think of as a comparison was that it was like struggling through an ocean wave. She felt like she was being hit and tossed every which way. How did she deal with this? Pushing him back was a temporary solution, how did she shut him up…  
  
Frowning, she pushed through the cub’s memories until she felt his heart pause in fear. Snarling the cub’s face into an unnatural sneer, she replayed that moment, over and over again. Yes, it was making him be silent!   
  
And why shouldn’t it?  
  
That glorious moment when her shadow had clasped the cub in suffocating darkness. But now, she saw it from the cub’s memory. That memory of when ice cold death had taken him. Blocking out his air, stopping his breath. His panicked thoughts, his desperate unspoken pleas to “Little, save me!”  
  
She grinned wider when the memory played the cub’s plea out for her in pure agonized shouts that he had been rendered unable to mutter.   
  
Over and over until she felt the cub’s will lessen, draw away.  
  
Standing to her new feet shakingly, she set her sights on the horizon. Closing her eyes again a moment, she poured through the memories, those nauseating memories of love, of hugs and kisses and laughing and…ugh!  
  
There.  
  
Turning, she set her sights on the rising sun as her bare feet went from floor to floor and finally out to the stone drawbridge. Oh, yes, this boy knew his way home. 

* * *

  
  
**_Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
Sir Plucki, amid listening and adding input to the plans finally circulating about the Council chambers, glanced over at his young squire. Asleep. He began to wonder how many hours of rest the cub had missed in his secret quest to find answers. Corvi and Toni and Tavi as well. Toni was similarly in the world of dreams. Corvi was holding his own. Only Tavi seemed to power on as if having limitless energy.  
  
"So you're saying Lady Bane was the one possessing Karleni?" Tavi's raised voice broke in.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," her Aunt Toffi replied solemnly.  
  
"That witch is back again?? Why can't she leave us be?" demanded Sir Gumlittle, a scowl on his face for all the grief the human sorceress bestowed on gummies.  
  
"Well, I'm glad it isn't more proof of Emi, you know?" Corvi said, trying to cover up a yawn in the process.  
  
Sir Gumlittle wasn't fooled. "Look, we're all worn. It's been quite a... well, we're past calling it a day. At least you squires... and young wizards..." he added, looking pointedly at Tavi. "should be resting up."  
  
"Uh-uh," Tavi replied firmly, taking her aunt's hand with just as much ownership as she had over the situation. "We've only just started."  
  
Sir Plucki stalled his brother-knight's protests with a raised hand.  
  
Giving Councilor Wooddale's hand a little squeeze, Tavi whispered up to her aunt, "Do you know, Auntie? Was it Lady Bane who got you? Or was it... her?"  
  
The councilor eyed her niece with a pained expression of doubt and uncertainty as well as the sorrow she felt for being influenced at all.  
  
"Okay," Tavi said to herself, letting go of her aunt's hand. She stepped up to the book and said, "Book of Merlinni," she addressed it, for she was tired of simply calling it 'Book'. "How and what did Lumina Gummi make as a prison to hold Emi?"  
  
After a few seconds, the rose-hued glow began and words imprinted on the pages thereafter were as follows:  
  
 **Lumina Gummi constructed one of the most elaborate and draining magic objects ever crafted in the history of Gummi Civilization. She and the twenty high-ranking wizards required for the undertaking literally put a part of their lives into the project, which extracted no less than a decade of life from each participant in the span of a single year to infuse and fuel the spell needed to secure Emi Gummi. A gummi's life energy was the necessary chain to bind her in place to a material object. Shortly after crafting said magic prison, Merlinni Gummi created the book before you with his remaining years and faded into the afterlife. It may now be assumed that Emi Gummi's prison is weakening due to that chain of life force either having begun to run out or is leaking out due to some flaw or break in the object.**  
  
Those crowding around to read the words were primarily the whole Gummadoon Council, Tavi, Sir Gumlittle and Sir Blastus. Tavi felt a little crowded but took another look around. Corvi had succumbed to his weariness. Honestly, she didn't feel a lick tired. She felt revved up! Onward!  
  
"And what exactly is her prison? What was the magic object Lumina Gummi made?" The Book of Merlinni wasn't being real forward about that part so she asked directly.  
  
A single sentence glowed briefly to life: **That information was kept even from this tome.**  
  
Tavi uttered a sigh of frustration at the lack of trust amongst gummies when it came to the subject of Emi Gummi. "All this would be a lot easier if people just talked about her!"  
  
The gentle but strong hand of Sir Plucki settled on the cub's shoulder to stay her. "That's entirely the problem on both sides, lass. Part of what made Emi so strong was her far-reaching influence. It became a fear to even utter her name. We don't know how she came to be as she was, nor if even that prison was enough. Obviously it wasn't... So, to be safe, I'd caution you as well. If she can reach any of us, she might even be keen on our talk of her. Who's to know if our fear of her is a fuel to weaken her prison. There's much we don't know, and that not knowing created our silence."  
  
Tavi shrugged. "I guess I get that. But this..." She waved a hand at the book before them. "It's so powerful and wonderful and yet, it can't help us anymore as far as finding Emi. Sometimes I wonder if what we lost was worth losing it is all."  
  
Her auntie hugged her close. "My dear, some decisions were not easy back then but it is time to move on. You've taught us that. Don't look back. Focus ahead."  
  
Berrybottom nodded, smiling. "Indeed. And unfortunately we cannot wait for Cubbi to wake. I'll fetch a messenger to leave immediately. It seems a talk with our Gummi Glen cousins is long-overdue."  
  
The aging yellow councilor turned and left the room.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Playroom Inside Gummadoon_**  
  
Lady Ivori sighed, a smile on her face as she watched Cori and Mori playing together, stacking blocks. Though she'd none of her own, it was always a pleasure to watch any of the cubs of the castle, though she did find it unusual that little Cori had called their visit a game and that he and his older brothers were playing pretend and that's why they were at the castle. Ah well. Active imaginations.  
  
And currently the pair were playing with a third young one currently in her charge. All three were stacking blocks and sharing in a most absorbed building exercise. She marvelled at the peace and harmony intrinsic in all gummies and felt that nothing could be more perfect -- except perhaps if she'd her own.  
  
Well, that simply wasn't the case, so she merely put every ounce of caring and devotion she had into teaching the squires and pages and, on those other occasions, watching the littler residents of Gummadoon while their parents went about their respective chores and what-not.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
Cubbi roused, restless. Some foggy kind of bad dream... He blinked, noted sunlight pouring in from a window, and looked around the chambers. The three knights and some of the Council remained but the other pages and squires were asleep. He caught Sir Plucki yawning and rubbing at his eyes before his favorite knight saw him and smiled.  
  
The Captain walked over to him. "Good morn, Cubbi."  
  
"I guess..." He sat up groggily, then stood. "Find anything new out?"  
  
Sir Plucki sighed. "You're barely steady on two feet, lad. Take it easy. Perhaps you should find your bed and rest up a bit more. Nothing pertinent is going on at present."  
  
"Perty-whah?" He blinked bleary eyes at Sir Plucki.  
  
"Pertinent. It means important. Nothing important will go on for now. We are sending someone out to contact Gummi Glen regarding the questions raised but other than that, we're at a bit of a stand-still.  
  
"Oh." Cubbi sighed. It turned into a yawn. He looked around. "Tavi?"  
  
"With Councilor Wooddale in the library, I think, along with the magical book you found. They're trying to find anything else that may give us more information." Plucki eyed his squire with growing concern. "Look, I know you want to help but you're no use to anyone half-asleep. Go back to bed. Get some rest. Rest here if you like."  
  
"No. 'M okay, Sir Plucki. Just gonna go grab somethin' ta eat." He started wandering out, toward the kitchen.  
  
Yawning again, Cubbi did start to feel like he was waking up, and his stomach really was rumbling for food after that little early morning snack. And, honestly, he couldn't go back to sleep. Bad dreams, a terrible threat looming... Who could sleep with that?  
  
As he passed from the hall to a side-room, Cubbi paused. Not only was the side-room unusually dark, there was somebody sitting in one of the two chairs near the cold, empty fireplace. The pink-furred cub's breath froze when he realized who: Sir Ecri.  
  
The broken knight sat with no lamp or lantern, a book in his hands, his eyes on the pages. He put out a dark mood that kept those close to him very concerned. Even those who didn't hardly know the guy were worried. Cubbi knew his life had been torn apart by Lady Bane, too, when his twin brother was killed. These days, the young knight kept to himself and never seemed to move yet he was rarely seen more than once a day by anyone. And he never spoke a word; not even to his mentor, Sir Blastus.  
  
Cubbi realized he'd stopped walking and was staring at Sir Ecri but he couldn't help it. Should he try talking to him? Should he be told what was going on right now? They could use every available knight they could get but... Ecri didn't look available. He didn't even look able. It was like the guy had sucked in on himself and shut everyone and everything else out. He must eat and drink and sleep. He didn't look like he was wasting away physically. Mentally though, Cubbi began to wonder. Someone needed to help him. Someone probably was trying. Several somebodies. Healer Sarrika and Sir Blastus and probably others. But they weren't here right now. With Karleni healing mentally and needing more help than Ecri, and Sir Blastus busy with helping his brother-knights come up with a plan to sort out this Emi Gummi business, nobody was paying any attention to him.  
  
Cubbi got up the gumption to walk slowly over. The creep of his fellow gummi's darkness made him shudder slightly but he ignored it and looked just at the young knight.  
  
Pained eyes flicked up to him briefly before returning to the book in his lap.  
  
"... Um... Sir Ecri?"  
  
The lavender-furred knight turned a page, not bothering to look up.  
  
"Sir Ecri, your fellow knights will need you."  
  
Again, no response. No indication that the young knight heard him at all.   
  
Cubbi tried again. "I dunno if you've heard? There's a horrible evil trying to get a foot-hold on Gummadoon again and--"  
  
"I know."  
  
It'd been so long since he'd ever heard Sir Ecri's voice, Cubbi's brows rose at how gentle it was. Didn't sound broken at all! Didn't even remember what he'd sounded like. But he still wouldn't look at Cubbi.  
  
"Oh. Um... Okay. Good. Just, y'know, thought you should know. Um, talk to you later, okay?" He couldn't think of anything else to say!  
  
Ecri didn't respond.  
  
Cubbi sighed, then turned to go.  
  
"You should prepare yourself for her assault as well."  
  
That gentle voice caused a shiver to go up his spine and the hairs on his neck prickle up. "Uh..." His voice shook. He cleared his throat. "Um, you, too. They're in the Council Chambers... if you wanna join them."  
  
"I know."  
  
Another shiver running the length of his body, Cubbi picked up his pace and left the unsettling presence of Sir Ecri.   
  
Wow... he mused over a muffin fresh from the oven. He never got the creeps from talking to somebody before. It was just kinda eerie, like the guy knew everything that was going on. The weird part was that, even though he never said, Cubbi was sure that, in his own way, Ecri was planning something to get ready for her, too.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Just Outside Gummadoon_**  
  
Though she didn't mind too much letting the green-furred young knight take lead on getting them both into Gummadoon, what Lady Bane absolutely loathed were the excited, loving, anticipation/fear/desperation all wrapped up in a mess of mushy feelings for his... ugh... family. Oh, she'd let him know they were still alive -- once she saw through his mind who they were. She did not, however, let on that she'd been trying to mess with the annoying little gummi sorceress and definitely had toyed with the mind of that incessant Councilor Wooddale. Heh. She suffered her own bout of glee to know they were related. Oh, this was going to be a sweet coup, once all was revealed...  
  
It was morning but not terribly early. The sun shone brightly. Lucki forced slightly less sluggish legs up and over a low, grassy hill and before them lay the grand vista of Gummadoon Castle. She ignored his hesitation, the unstoppable formation of tears in his eyes at the sight of 'home', and pressed him to get moving or else be forced to relive his death mentally all over again. Sufficiently cowed by the threat, he began the plodding march toward the outer gates.  
  
A grape-furred gummi of young adult age with a knapsack slung across one shoulder came from those gates and started out at a run. Accessing Lucki's memories, Lady Bane knew it was a lad named Crobi. She assumed he'd spotted Lucki from within and came running out to greet him but he nearly shot right past them. Scoffing at such behavior, she was about to have her meat-puppet call out to him when he stopped with a screeching halt just a few feet in front of them. The grape-furred gummi slowly turned and Lady Bane had the greatest of satisfaction at seeing Crobi's expression turn to one of absolute horror. The gummi screamed, tripped over himself as he tried to run backwards, then shot up and ran right back into Gummadoon as if he were on fire.  
  
Ha! THAT was the attitude she wanted all gummies to feel before her presence Incapacitating fear. Yes!  
  
 _Stop this! Please!_  
  
She sneered at the soul and its beggings. _Shut up and move it! Or else..._   
  
It obeyed and the body moved on, natural as you please. In a way, Lady Bane preferred this method of subterfuge. Not as taxing as a possession and so much easier than trying to control the body without its intended soul to steer it along. And, look. More fun up ahead.  
  
There were two guards at the gate, currently joking about the silly manner in which their fellow just rushed back in. She caught snatches of their conversation, that that particular gummi was prone to forgetting things and perhaps he'd forgotten the message he'd intended to deliver. It made her arrival all the more sweet, for the knights caught movement of a green form and turned to see. And their eyes nearly popped from their skulls in shock and terror at the sight of a comrade, once dead, now before them.  
Lady Bane gained a perverse pleasure in letting Lucki speak to them.  
  
Oh, he didn't want to. Didn't even know what to say, but he wasn't exactly in charge so...   
  
Hesitation apparent in both voice and manner, Lucki addressed them personally. "Aendi, Templi." He added a short nod of greeting but as he spoke, he saw their eyes roll back into their heads and they folded unceremoniously to the ground.  
  
And oh, how Lady Bane cackled! Wonderful! More! Go, go!  
  
The body which he was no longer whole went forward -- partly at his command, partly at hers. By this time, the sounds of hurried footsteps and commotion could be heard growing ever near.  
  
Where the gummi soul allowed to remain in its body steeled itself for what was to come, Lady Bane welcomed the turmoil with open arms. It was, after all, why she'd done this to begin with. That, and to get inside the castle.  
  
Lady Bane let Lucki have the reigns for the moment for, within moments, several guards with swords raised en guarde were charging right for him. The green-furred gummi dropped to one knee, covering his head with his hands. "No! STOP!!"  
  
They did not strike but they did surround him and keep him at sword-point. Every bit of fear he felt was allowed to show on his face as he peeked out from between his arms. And then he saw them... Sir Plucki, Sir Blastus and... and Gumlittle. Oh, they looked furious. But when they parted the guards, their own swords at the ready, he dared uncover his face and gaze at them with eyes full of sorrow and joy and so many things for he knew how he was here but he didn't care at that moment. He was more alive than before, and if he got the chance, he had a lot to say to them all.  
  
But, for now, he let them make the first move. Dressed only in parts of  his knight's underdressing which he'd been buried in, he probably looked like he'd crawled right out of his own grave. He knew what this probably looked like to them. He hoped they'd figure out he'd been resurrected and that he wasn't some ghoul. How he wished he could tell them what was going on!  
  
And he felt the oppressive presence of Lady Bane locking his throat tight.  
So he could do nothing but watch their expressions carefully and try to make the most of this.  
  
Blastus and Plucki... Their fury turned to outright shock, though Plucki's features became guarded once more. He didn't seem fooled. Good. Gumlittle though...  
  
The big knight's sword clanked to the cobblestones. He looked Lucki up and down a second before taking two large steps and engulfing the green-furred gummi in a giant, swashing, never-let-you-go hug.  
  
Lady Bane wanted to retch. Lucki wanted to cry. She didn't let them do either.  
  
"Gumlittle," Plucki intervened, his sword pointed at Lucki. "Step away from that thing."


	28. Chapter 28

Plucki had assumed that he was prepared for just about anything. He wasn’t arrogant but years of experience tended to give you quite the pool of resources and recollection to choose from. He had learned over the years where his strengths were and where his weaknesses were. Likewise, he had learned the same about his knights, his brothers and those he interacted with. Hence, he was well known and admired for his ability to keep calm under pressure. Very few ever saw him break and even fewer saw him angry. Legitimately angry in any event. Those who had were quick to report it to be a frightening experience.   
  
Still, even he had his limits. He was trying to remain calm in the heat of these recent events, agreeing when Councilor Berrybottom returned, reporting that young Crobi was preparing for departure for the Glen. He was swift of foot though could be a bit scramble-brained at times. All the same, it had been a proper choice when speed was something they needed!   
  
So, he was rightly stunned when in the midst of speaking with his brother-knights the young bear had broken back into the room, pale as a ghost, even under his purple fur. While people tended to joke about Crobi’s forgetfulness, he was not known as a coward. Far from it, in fact. So, when he was not bothering to stop tears of panic from streaming down his face when he fell to his knees, Plucki was quick to rush to his side, his two brothers following. Plucki slipped into his paternal mode, though Crobi was an adult himself.  
  
“Crobi, calm.” He told him sternly, though not unkindly. “What brings this panic?”  
  
“I…I..” the young adult took a deep inhale, as Gumlittle and Blastus helped him to steady and stand upright again. “I..I swear, I am not crazy, Captain. Gum as my witness, I swear it!”  
  
“Crobi,” Gumlittle cut in, “No one has accused you of such a thing. We aren’t mind readers though!”  
  
“Your late squire, Lucki.” He stated finally, looking at Gumlittle.  
  
The big knight went stiff, forcing the lump in his throat to stay there. Lucki…

Blastus intervened, seeing all too well his brother’s emotional response, “What of poor Lucki, mon ami?”  
  
Crobi locked eyes with him, “I don’t know what kind of trickery it is but I swore I just ran into him outside the gates.”  
  
Silence, silence that could make the bravest of souls crack. Emotions rushed the air like electricity. Sadness, regret, depression but above all else, anger. A deep anger that was born out of injustice and the frustration that anyone would take advantage of such a young lad’s sacrifice for their own deprived satisfaction. It made even Plucki see red and very little did. He was filled with a strong desire to go and bring the utmost and swiftest justice to whomever dared to play games with the heart!  
  
Gumlittle’s face had turned red under his fur and he broke from the room, anger painted on his face, with Blastus trailing. Plucki gave chase, telling Crobi “leave this to us, my friend. You still have your task to fulfill.”  
  
By the time Plucki caught up with his brothers, they could hear commotion from the front gates, people talking about the front guards having been rendered unconscious. Now Plucki’s nerves were on edge as well as his temper. He doubted it was a major attack, not with no sounds of battle triggering his ears. He did give a wave to some of the knights closer to the gate to head out and a group of about ten rushed out, swords drawn. Gumlittle had his own hand on his sword hilt, pulling it out, a deep seated betrayal painted on his face. Plucki and Blastus followed suit.   
  
They were not expecting to see a panicked green furred cub crouched on the ground, dressed in only knight under clothing.   
  
By Gum…  
  
Plucki was not one to give into his emotions easily but even he could not stop the shock from settling on his face. By Gum, it was. It certainly looked like…the Gummadoon captain felt his throat close, a brief moment. Dear Gum, their lost one…home again.  
  
But no! That was impossible. The whole of Gummadoon’s force had been there the day, that sad day, many months earlier when they lowered their brave lost squire into his resting place. That day was still fresh in Plucki’s mind. Being the leader of Gummadoon’s force and Gumlittle as the lad’s mentor, they had been two of the prominent speakers that day. Plucki could recall it. The young boy, so young yet robbed of so much potential, eyes closed as if in sleep, his brother, his strong brother collapsing on his knees next to the boy’s casket, sobbing openly of the pain of losing a child. A child not of blood but a child of his heart nonetheless.  
  
One did not simply forget that.   
  
Despite that all, it seemed the boy was truly in front of them once more. All at once, numerous things began to generate in Plucki’s mind: a look-alike monster, a walking dead corpse, an illusion. All cruel horrific possibilities and all formed with the full intent of abusing the hearts of those that had held dear Lucki close. The thought of anyone utilizing such a cold hearted measure made Plucki absolutely livid and he ground his teeth silently to keep calm. What kind of devious plans did this THING have planned once it got close enough to twist the knife?!  
  
Any manner of these things was deadly so when his brother clasped the monstrosity, he took a step forward, sword drawn “Gumlittle, step away from that thing!”  
  
  
Gumlittle wanted to ignore Plucki’s call. He wanted to just stay as he was, clutching his lost child so close to his chest, to know he was here with him and not cold and dead in the ground. Not robbed of his potential, not stolen before his prime, and all those past months of pain wiped away like a morning rain. However, despite this longing, despite the small cub in his arms clinging desperately to him, he knew the reason behind Plucki’s command and it made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to believe this was a trick, as much as logic told him it probably was. That it had to be.  
  
Please, let him pretend, just one more moment!  
  
Blastus put a hand on his brother’s shoulder and pulled back. Despite the small force behind it, it was enough to make Gumlittle release and back up, leaving the small cub reaching out for him from his position on the ground. Despite the obvious longing in his eyes, he did not try to follow his mentor. He stayed locked to the ground. He had a desperate look in his eyes, one of horror, one of sadness and fear. While he did not look the part of a villain, the Gummadoon knights had not survived as long as they had by giving into facades.  
  
Still, the entire group could not deny that it was uneasy, looking this cub up and down who looked exactly like the brave child they had buried only a few months ago. He possessed the same green fur, the same wispy green hair, the same wide bright eyes. He was dressed in the same white linen undergarments that he had been buried in. Perhaps, most hauntingly, they could see the faint bruising along his neck where that evil witch had made her power known. Where she had stopped his breath and taken his life.  
  
Blastus’ voice came out cold and harsh, unusual for him, “We were all there when we buried Lucki.” He stated the plain and simple facts.   
  
The cub in front of them nodded, “I know.” His head stayed bowed and he stated “I…I know you have no reason to believe me but it IS me.” He lifted a face full of frustration and sadness, “I’m not some undead ghoul come back to haunt you or curse you or anything like that.” He bit his lip, fingered the small cut where he had split his lip open on the floor.   
  
Inwardly, Lucki was torn. He did not want to be a part of this horrid witch’s scheme but he also…well, he was alive. He was. He had originally been disgusted by this witch’s scheme, to bring him back only to bring such horrible pain to his friends and family but he had been under the impression that her spell was what made him live and kept him breathing. As she had taken possession of his body, he had learned that this was not the case. It was a matter of two spells. One that allowed her to control him via suppressing his soul and the first, that had resurrected his body and called his soul.  
  
He WAS alive. If he could be rid of this witch, he would be very much alive again! He had his life back!  
  
So many emotions flooded his mind. The first was the matter at hand though. As much as he hated to let the witch run things, he was had not become strong enough to fight her yet. Not without her calling up that horrible…that memory…that fear. He did not want to have to see that, to remember that. Much as he liked to think of himself as brave, the thought of having to witness his death again, to feel that kind of panic again was something that made him want to cry, to curl into a ball and shake and quiver. He hated the fact but it was a fact nonetheless. So, here he was, letting that evil sorceress use his body, his voice, his memory to get them both into Gummadoon.  
  
At least on this manner, getting into Gummadoon, he and Lady Bane were on the same page, as much as such a thought sickened him. Once within Gummadoon, surely, surely, he could find a way to warn his family, to warn his friends. He would need to think on the matter though. Near as he could figure, while Lady Bane could access his memories, his thinking at whim, she did not do so continuously. It was too difficult to try and utilize speech to sound like him and also be scanning all his thoughts. Surely, she would realize it later but frankly, Lady Bane was no fool. She would not expect that he would not try to warn them.  
  
No time for that now. He needed to get inside. Inside, despite what Lady Bane may have thought, being amongst gummies put him at the distinct advantage not her.   
  
So, he would have to wait for now. Wait and see.  
  
“Do you think us fools?” One of the knights to the left, one that was called Sir Ruddi and well known for being a hot head though a competent knight, snarled. “We are aware of illusion spells…”  
  
Lady Bane was grateful for this brat’s body being a relative of a sorceress. She had known the information needed but luckily, so did he!  A quick scan of the boy’s memory quickly gave her a response. “And you know as well as I do that illusion spells can’t hide everything. Not even full transformation spells can do that!” It was easy enough to let emotion seep into the voice. “I mean, even the changing hat couldn’t change everything. There’s always that stupid red gem when you use that! When you transform to another creature, the eyes stay the same, colors don’t change without a lot of effort and even then, scars don’t change. There’s lotions and stuff to hide them sure but you can still feel them. They’re still there! If I was an illusion spell, you’d see something off about me!” She let the boy’s desperation come out a little in that little statement. Then, before waiting for a response, she moved the body’s arms and legs to throw off that dirty white linen, leaving the boy completely nude and vulnerable in front of a group of armed knights. She relished a bit in the boy’s embarrassment; she loved anything that made him feel fear or uncomfortable and this did both. Truthfully, she loathed this act herself as she tended to loathe anything that produced vulnerability but it DID have an effect. An important one at that.  
  
She saw some of the doubt, just some of it, melt away from those accusing eyes. Instead, what arose was hope, disgusting sentiment and a deep longing, the likes of which that she herself had never experienced nor felt the desire to. Disgusting, really. This love these creatures carried for one another. Weakness.  
  
Shifting the body’s eyes to lock with that big knight, she let some of the boy’s embarrassment color his cheeks even as she made him state, “Gumlittle, you’ve been with me since I was four years old! You used to give me baths, you remember, right Gummie?”  
  
Oh, the big knight’s eyes looked so broken. It was a delight to see! Though he did not step nearer, he did reply, “I do.” He was clearly trying to keep his voice steady but she could hear the break in it. The starting to crumble. Anyone half able to hear would have been able to pinpoint it.   
  
The cub spread his arms, saying, “Is anything out of place on me? Please, Gummie, if anyone can tell if I’m a fake or illusion, you can.”  
  
Gumlittle bit his lower lip, trying to keep his emotions in check. He shifted his eyes to his Captain. The cub spoke the truth. Next to the squires’ parents, the knights knew them best, and in some cases, even better than their parents. He saw Plucki’s eyes focus a moment as he considered the option then he gave a half curt nod to Gumlittle. The larger knight took a step forward, still not talking. He truthfully did not trust himself to say anything. If he did, he was certain he was going to burst into tears and lock this cub to his chest again. So instead, he focused on the task at hand. Was this child an illusion, a spell meant to fool their hearts and eyes? Well, they had not counted on as close a bond as gummi knights had for their young! The child had spoken truth when he said that if anyone knew, it would be Gumlittle. He had bathed the child many a time, (had even helped change his diapers before he even became a page under him at a time when his mother was in dire need of the aid), had tended his share of wounds and cuts and during a period of fierce fever had taken to dousing the poor child with cold water to fight that sickness. Every inch of this cub’s body, every cut, every scar, every birth mark, he knew them all.  
  
As he ran his hands up the cub’s arms, he found that old scar on his left arm, where the cub had tumbled into a half broken fence when he was seven. The scar, while mild and not seen by the naked eye, could still be felt. He found it, right where it always was, on the upper arm, right below the shoulder. He found the cub still giggled, despite trying not to, when he ran his hands over his left side but not his right. Just like he remembered. The cub’s right knee still had had that odd birthmark on it. He felt the cub flush when he ran his hands over his backside, and he muttered a soft apology to the boy. He was believing more and more with each moment and this would be the last check…yes! Faint but that scar was still there too. A small scar over his left buttock, covered by his fur, that the cub had gotten when he was thrown from his horse the first time. It was an embarrassing memory for the lad and one that only Gumlittle shared with him and their healer.   
  
Everything was right. Nothing, not even the smallest detail, was wrong.   
  
He shifted eyes to Plucki, “It’s Lucki, to the last detail.”  
  
The surrounding knights withdrew their swords, slightly though they did not sheath them. Gumlittle had turned back to the cub in front of him, but Lucki locked eyes with Plucki. “I..I remember waking up in Lady Bane’s castle.”  
  
Oh, they tensed. They tensed immensely.   
  
Lucki swallowed. “I…I don’t know what she wanted to do with me. Wanted to use me for some reason against you, I’m sure. But, she couldn’t hold my spirit.” He swallowed again, like the very act of talking was tiresome. “She would try and break me, try to get me to obey her but she could only do it for some long. Even she has to sleep.” The cub bit his lower lip, trembling and dropped his head, letting his green hair drape into his face. “So when she did I ran. Like a stupid little coward, I ran. I coulda found out what she was planning, what she…”   
  
Lady Bane let the cub’s tears come, truly enjoying the pained expressions she was causing and feeling from her little spiritual captive.   
  
“But…I was scared, I didn’t know what to do. So…I wanted to come home. I don’t blame you for not believing me. I hardly believe me and it happened to me.” He looked up, tears running down his cheeks. “Forgive me, Captain. It was stupid of me. I may have led her here…”  
  
Plucki raised a hand, calling for silence. The cub went quiet.   
  
“You’ve proven you are no fake or illusion.” The Captain stated simply. “But there is still the issue of possession, of false resurrection.”  
  
While the Captain’s voice was completely business, Lady Bane could see the emotion behind his eyes. Good, yes!  
  
“I…I am me.” The cub stammered, “I…have one of the Councilors look me over?”  
  
Silence. It was a viable suggestion and in fact, was one that the Captain himself would have insisted on. Possession often occurred when they were unaware but if they were aware of the chance, they could catch it. The fact that the cub was acknowledging and even encouraging it was unexpected but it was more evidence that perhaps things had occurred as he reported. Lady Bane…how low could she sink?!  
  
“Spinwillow.” The cub stated suddenly. While Lady Bane would have preferred to insist upon Wooddale as it would have been easier to emotionally manipulate her, it would also be suspicious. She saw more of their doubt die with that statement. “She’s a hard tail.” The cub’s memories of the woman were of a strict if paranoid gummi woman. The phrase “hard tail” apparently had been developed by Lucki among the other cubs to describe her. She could tell by the way that the knights’ faces shifted, slightly. “If Lady Bane did anything to me, she’ll catch it.”  
  
So, there was that. Now, she only had to convince this group of fools that the cub was truly alive. Hmm, how to…yes! There!  
  
The young cub glanced around and then darted out with his left hand, grasping hard on the nearest knight’s blade. He squeezed slightly and with a wince, drew his hand away. By now, the knights were reaching for their blades again but were stopped by a shouted command from Plucki. The green furred cub turned, wincing from pain. Lady Bane found that was the most annoying part. She felt the uncomfortable feeling of pain herself. She was used to healing spells. Being forced to inflict pain was an annoyance. All the same, it looked like it may have achieved what she wanted though.  
  
Lucki held his hands up, as dark red blood dripped from the small slice on his hand. “But…I’m NOT dead. I promise you.”  
  
Gumlittle immediately switched into his mentor mode, wrapping the boy’s wounded hand. The bright red blood was the last evidence. He _was_ alive. Whether he was possessed or not or things truly had transpired as he described…he was alive! Dear Gum, no matter what the circumstances, his little Lucki was alive. He went to embrace Lucki again but this time, it was Lucki who stopped him. The cub held his hands up, his wrists placed tightly together. Gumlittle blinked, stunned then the cub spoke.  
  
“I d…I dunno what Lady Bane has planned. I don’t want to take any chances. Please. I don’t know what she wants, what she was trying to do. Please, don’t take any chances, Gummie. Not until Spinwillow clears me. Please.”  
  
Realization hit Gumlittle like a punch to the gut. The cub wanted him to shackle him! Like he was some kind of enemy, some kind of criminal.  
  
“Lucki, I…” Dear Gum, how could the cub even think this?! He was a victim, not an adversary!  
  
“Please, Gummie.” The cub pleaded. “I…don’t know if she planted something in me or what she wanted with me. I…don’t want to risk it. Please.” Twin tracks made paths down the cub’s already tear-stained cheeks. “I…shouldn’t have come back. I’m riskin’ all of you…it was stupid…”  
  
It was finally Blastus that stepped forward and slipped the cold iron on the cub’s wrists though it was clear he kept them loose. Even he was saddened, his eyes wet. As he did so, he stated “Mon ami, we shall be swift. Soon as the council clears you. The moment they clear you…”  
  
The cub nodded but seemed actually comforted by the cold iron, “Thank you Sir Blastus. If Spinwillow tells me that there’s nothin, then good. But if not. I…I can’t risk you all. Not even if sounds stupid.” He lowered his head again, his hair draping into his eyes.   
  
The entire group of knights felt like a bunch of traitors, turning to march a nude cub that should have still been within the ground, into Gummadoon like a common criminal. Plucki, with a simple nod, sent one of the knights to retrieve the council. Not just Spinwillow but the entire council sans Wooddale. The councilor, though wise, could also be emotionally manipulated. It was a sad fact but a fact nonetheless. They could take no chances with this.   
  
To a second knight, Sir Kai, he gave a command out of earshot of the others. Sir Kai was a young knight, barely knighted to be frank at only 20 years of age, but he was a loyal and strong lad for that age. He tended to be quiet and easily overlooked but Plucki needed someone with stealth and swiftness. The knight blinked in surprise when the Captain gestured him over. Nervously, he broke rank and trotted to the knight’s side, “Yes, Captain?”  
  
“I need you to do something for me, swiftly, Kai.” Plucki kept his voice low, though he never shifted some of his glance from the group venturing inside. This was his final bit, the last bit he needed to know.  
  
The young knight nodded seriously, “Yes, Sir.”  
  
“I want you to go and seek out the cub’s grave and report back. You know where we buried young Lucki?” he inquired.  
  
The young knight nodded “Yes, Sir. He was buried with full honors alongside the other lost fighters.” It had been such a solemn day, such a sad horrific day. It would never leave any of those who had seen it.   
  
“Good. I want you to go investigate and come back and report. Be quick and do not be delayed or distracted.” Plucki kept his face stoic as the young knight nodded and with a salute, he vanished off into the direction of their burial fields.   
  
Plucki’s entire heart was in twists and turns as he went to rejoin his fellows. Far as he could tell, the cub WAS Lucki. He was clearly no illusion and no false resurrection. What cruel plan had that awful witch been planning? The very idea that she was potentially planning something with a cub that had already DIED made his blood boil. Yet, as much as he wanted to let Gumlittle scoop up the cub, Gum, as much as HE wanted to scoop up the cub and just reassure him that everything would be fine, he could not just yet. He had to be cautious, despite what his heart wanted.   
  
He jogged a bit, reaching Gumlittle who trailed the back. He reached out, took hold of his brother knight Gumlittle’s hand, gave a strong squeeze of encouragement. His brother turned, his eyes wet and he didn’t try to hide them.  
  
“He’s alive Plucki.”  
  
“So it seems.” Plucki agreed. “We’ll make this as quick as we can, ‘Little.” He locked eyes with his brother-knight. “Soon as any danger is cleared away, those irons come off. Lucki might be able to give us some idea of what Lady Bane is planning, regardless of what he thinks..”  
  
“She’s mine, Plucki.” Gumlittle hissed. “If she’s behind this, Gum as my witness, I’ll take care of her myself.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
“Corvi!”  
  
The teen turned, gave a light groan as Cubbi trotted up to his side. Cubbi made a face, “Gee, thanks Corvi.”  
  
The teen shook his head, “Not what I meant Cubbi.” He tried to assure the boy. “Just tired still.” That was the understatement of the year. His head was throbbing from the lack of sleep, he felt like his skin and fur was crawling and if he became anymore tense, he was pretty sure that he was going to snap. He was eternally grateful that Ivori was watching over his brothers for right now. It took a weight off his shoulders but it was always near, hovering and ready to just slam down on his shoulders again at any given moment.  
  
“Oh…where were you headed?”  
  
Corvi stretched, frowning. “Well, I figured that I could try and see if there was anymore information hidden.”  
  
Cubbi’s ears perked up. “Really?”  
  
“Well, I thought since Tavi found that book within the hidden walls, there might be some more info there.” The teen shrugged. “L-long shot,” he cleared his throat, wincing as that odd prickling came in his throat again. It certainly wasn’t illness but it was bothersome nonetheless. “but there might be something.”  
  
Concern painted Cubbi’s face, “You alright, Corvi? You’re not gettin’ sick are you?”  
  
Groaning again, the teen shook his head, “Naw, I don’t think so. I’m fine.”  
  
Cubbi didn’t believe him and it showed on his face but he decided not to press it. He had learned a long time ago that if a teen didn’t want to tell you something that they wouldn’t. Sunni had been like that, more so as she got older. So, instead of asking why Corvi was always clearing his throat and why his voice was starting to sound scratchy, he followed the teen in silence a moment before asking, “You know where she found the book?”  
  
“Not completely.” The teen admitted. “I have an idea but the halls of Gummadoon have a lot of secrets.” He managed a smile, despite his stress, just by the absolute trust and wonder Cubbi was staring at him with. His brothers looked at him that way so many times. He touched a few of the stones on the wall and then pushed aside one of the many portraits hanging, revealing an opening. Cubbi’s eyes went huge. Corvi had to admit, he loved seeing those kind of reactions on others. He knew Gummadoon so completely that there were often passageways that he could surprise even the Council with.  
  
“Cool!” Cubbi rushed ahead of Corvi, looking about. It was just like something from those old stories where secrets were stored away, out of sight, out of mind. He was pretty much in a fairy tale!   
  
“yeah, it is a little bit.” Corvi admitted, walking ahead, stating “They trail all over Gummadoon, they go pretty much everywhere, except the dungeon. You pretty much have a city inside a city here.” The teen pointed down a hallway that seemed to arch up a bit “That will open up into the knights’ bedrooms.” He pointed to another one, a narrow one. “That one goes down to the kitchen.” Yet another one, a dark one. “We used to explore down there. It goes to the library but it also opens up into other rooms, older rooms that we don’t use anymore.”  
  
Cubbi beamed widely “Sounds like a great place to start, Corv!”  
  
That said, the cub took off at a run, Corvi on his heels. Truthfully, this passageway tended to give him the creeps. He used to run through it as a younger cub, with Lucki usually on his heels. They used to pretend to be slaying all kinds of beasts. Maybe it wasn’t so much that it was creepy as that it brought up old memories. He and Lucki used to be just as troublesome as Toni (and Cubbi, he guessed as well) and were pretty much connected at the hip. They used to say that they were just as much brother-knights as Plucki, Gumlittle and Blastus were.  
  
And just like his mother, now Lucki was gone too.  
  
“Corvi?” Cubbi’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothin’” he answered quickly, “This tunnel really gets to me is all.”  
  
Cubbi frowned; this tunnel was cool! He couldn’t really see what Corvi would get so upset about. Man, you really got weird as you got older! “I think it’s neat!”  
  
Corvi allowed himself a soft laugh, “I don’t think anything fazes you, kid.”  
  
Cubbi beamed at the teenager at that statement. He remembered having a similar conversation with Plucki a few weeks ago. The Captain had been talking about bravery, what it looked like, what constituted bravery (he learned that meant what made up bravery by the way!) and the subject of fear had come up. Cubbi had proudly declared that he was not afraid of anything. Plucki had become stern and told Cubbi to “stop lying to me.” It had been a shock to Cubbi but the more he thought about it, it really HAD been a lie. Not much scared him, true enough, but things still did. Oh, losing his friends and family, he supposed all people feared that. He didn’t want to disappoint people but he didn’t consider that a fear.   
  
Ghosts and spirits though…for some reason, those just GOT to him. Calling Destini had been nerve-wracking but he had managed to keep himself together. He certainly hadn’t told Plucki that though! He told him about his interactions with Sir Gallent because he truly was proud of what the knight had taught him, what he had accomplished. But he had just left out the beginning when he had run like a little baby from the ghost. It was embarrassing! He certainly wasn’t going to tell Plucki that! Was that why this hallway bothered Corvi? Because it felt like there were ghosts or spirits here? He inquired as such.  
  
“No, not spirits. Just…memories.”  
  
Cubbi blinked but kept a steady pace with the teen. Corvi wasn’t looking at him anymore, just glancing ahead. He had this weird look to his eyes, full of sadness and it was …well, it made Cubbi sad! “Lucki and I used to play down here.”  
  
Cubbi jerked a bit, surprised. He had not thought much about how Tavi’s brother must have affected the others but…duh! He’d been a squire too! Gumlittle’s if memory served him right. Corvi’s reluctance made perfect sense now. “Oh.” He swallowed, rubbed his neck “You two were friends, huh?”  
  
“Best friends.” Corvi corrected him. “Like you and that human boy.”  
  
Wow…that close? Cubbi couldn’t imagine Cavin suddenly being gone. It made him sick to his stomach. He never even considered that as a possibility. It had hit him, once, when he had nearly sailed with Chummi but it had turned out the thought of leaving all those he cared about was too much. Even now, in Gummadoon, he purposely made an effort to keep in contact and Plucki said that every so often he was fine with him taking a day trip to visit the boy. The idea of having a friend so dear to your heart…gone forever.  
  
Cubbi shuddered and then blinked as his foot hit something hard. Biting back a yelp, he looked down and saw a faint shimmer at his foot, buried under dirt. He knelt, ignoring that Corvi kept going ahead, and dug around it. What he uncovered was what looked like an old key. It was probably golden once and it had a broken emblem of Gummadoon on the head. What…  
  
 _Not yet._  
  
The voice was distinct, very close and very firm.  
  
Cubbi jumped, landing on his backside, looking around. “Corv?”  
  
The teen paused in step and turned “What?”  
  
“Di..did you hear that?” Cubbi swallowed, hoping he didn’t sound nearly as shaken as he felt. Nothing was there!  
  
Corvi raised a brow at him cynically. “Hear what? Don’t be tryin to spook me Cubbi. Plucki frowns on it.”  
  
“I wouldn’t do that!” Cubbi protested, “Not with all this stuff going on!”  
  
 _Not yet. You will need it later. Remember._  
  
“There it is again!” Cubbi protested. “You heard it that time, didn’t you?”  
  
“There isn’t anything, Cubbi. Stop it!” Corvi protested, suddenly feeling uneasy. The air about them felt heavy and cold but warm at the same time. SOMETHING was amiss. “This isn’t fun—ny.”  
  
Cubbi’s yelping stopped and Corvi covered his mouth. His voice had wavered then distinctly cracked. From his normal tone to a high pitched squeak then back again. As odd as it was, despite the seriousness of the situaion, that was enough to break the tension. He was suddenly acutely aware of how he sounded, acutely aware of how Cubbi was staring at him and trying not to laugh, despite having been petrified a minute earlier.  
His eyes widened as he paired together the past few weeks. The scratchiness of his throat, the odd growth he had noticed and now…  
  
“Ga’tsh!” He cursed in Old Gummi, leaning against the wall, slamming his balled fist into the stone. “Ga’tsh, ga’tsh, ga’tsh!” He had ENOUGH on his plate! Any other time he would have welcomed it, would have even been proud of it because it meant he was growing older, becoming stronger. It was something he and Lucki had teased one another about looking forward to and even made bets on who would get it first, despite the adults saying ‘not to rush it.’ But right now, all that meant to him was something else that made him stick out, something else that made him more likely to be noticed and thus the situation with his brothers to be revealed. Dear Gum, maybe he should just tell someone…  
  
Cubbi stood up, walking over. “Say what?” He didn’t know what had gotten Corvi so upset but that had been funny! Corvi had sounded like some kind of weird squeaky bird for a minute and then back to himself. He’d never heard that kind of voice trick before. Judging by Corvi’s face though, it was hardly intentional. Cubbi was sure Corvi had seen him smile and he was genuinely sorry but that had sounded funny! Least, if nothing else, it made him forget for a minute that weird voice. It wasn’t talking anymore anyway.  
  
Shaking his head, Corvi spat, “Nothing! Don’t repeat that!”   
  
Cubbi nodded, but mentally made a note of both “ga’tsh” and “i’sau’ta” as what he and the other kids called the “fun” words.   
  
He grasped Corvi’s hand, saying “But no, I wasn’t making it up Corv.” Much as Cubbi wanted to ask what the heck was up with Corvi’s voice, the teen seemed pretty steamed right now. It would probably just make him angrier. Cubbi had limited exposure to teen gummies, only Sunni and Buddi really. Sunni tended to get emotional and cry and stuff and Buddi just got mad, at least from the little Cubbi had seen. He had no desire to see any of that right now. Corvi seemed on edge lately and not just from the whole mess they were dealing with. There was something else there, something deeper that Corvi refused to uncover.   
  
Corvi was grateful for the switch back to the present even if it was a freaky prospect. “I don’t hear anything Cubbi.” He purposely spoke slower. Maybe, maybe just maybe, that was fluke. Yes, that was what he was going to go with. After all, he knew the generalizations. He wasn’t due for that voice issue for at least another two years. He was just twelve for Gum’s sake, though he felt considerably older. Thirteen was considered young, fourteen was average, sixteen was late. No one got it before thirteen, right? Right, that was all the books said, that was all the adults had been implying. Right, right. Totally a fluke, brought on by too much stress. Forget it, just focus on present.   
  
Cubbi reached down and lifted the key, “It said to leave this here.”  
  
Corvi’s eyes widened to double their size and he took the item from Cubbi, “Ya’naska!” he cursed and he noted Cubbi grinning at him, “Cubbi, don’t say that either!”  
  
Cubbi giggled, “For an honorable squire, you sure curse a lot Corvi.” He teased lightly, “Blastus know that?”  
  
Corvi chose not to comment on that. Truth be told, he was cursing a lot more lately. More than he liked and definitely more than Blastus would approve of. The knight had patience for the occasional slip up but he would definitely have been frowning on his speech patterns as of late. When he was younger, Blastus had made a big deal of maintaining honorable speech, mature speech that a knight would be proud to speak to his Captain. Blastus’ rule of thumb was that if he would not say it to the Captain, he should not be saying it. Corvi had learned the hard way what happened when one slipped into rude tongue in front of the Captain. He could still taste that horrible herb if he focused hard enough. He had no desire to revisit it.  
  
Still, did Cubbi realize he had just handed him a master key of Gummadoon?! That was definitely worth a good curse!  
  
“Cubbi, this is a master key.”  
  
Silence. “You mean this thing will open any door in Gummadoon?” he asked, his eyes wide. The thing they had been looking for all this time had been just laying around in a tunnel?!  
  
“Exactly. It must be the one that was lost years ago.” Corvi caught the cub’s look and explained, “When I was four or so, there was all this hustle about someone dropping a key in the tunnels. No one would say who it was but I think it was Aldi. He had a bad habit of borrowing his Dad’s and trying to get into some of these hidden rooms.” Corvi bit his lip, looking over the key. It felt odd, almost surreal to think that the last person to have touched this was Aldi, now years dead.   
  
Cubbi blinked, staring just like Corvi was. “A voice said leave it here.”  
  
Corvi eyed his younger comrade “Leave it?”  
  
A firm nod, “Said something about us needin’ it later.” Cubbi shuddered slightly. He’d heard a distinct voice. It hadn’t been mean or anything but just the thought of a ghost or a spirit. It made him weak in the knees despite how he tried to deny it.   
  
Corvi eyed the key in his hand, turning it over and over, “We should tell the adults about it…but do what it said to.”  
  
He handed the metal back to Cubbi who promptly dropped it in the dirt. “Can we get outta here now?” the younger one asked, his ears drooped ever so slightly. Corvi was not about to argue that. He hadn’t heard anything but with the way things were going lately, he wasn’t going to doubt it. The sooner he could let the adults in on it, the better. The less he had to carry on his shoulders, the better.  
  
He and Cubbi turned back the way they came and swiftly made their way toward the main corridors again. The entire atmosphere felt heavy and polluted, like it was a heavy blanket threatening to choke them both. Corvi wanted to just go sit down, curl into a ball and just cry but he couldn’t. That wouldn’t accomplish anything. Much as he wanted to be a little kid again, he couldn’t. That wasn’t an option for him.   
  
It was only after they made their way back into the main inner hall that Cubbi broke the awkward silence,  
  
“So…can you teach me some Old Gummi I _can_ say?”  
  
Corvi raised a brow “Why the interest?” Old Gummi was a pretty dying language. The older gummies knew, at least some of them, but even then, he was probably more fluent than they were. He remembered holding his tongue a few times at some of the adults’ outrageous pronunciation errors. He didn’t want to be seen as the uppity teenager. All the same, he did remember Cubbi and the other squires showing interest in it before when he was translating for them. It wasn’t something he was used to though; most people considered it a waste of time to learn older languages. Though, if their investigation into this Emi mess was any indication, that was a false and foolish stance.  
  
Cubbi beamed widely, glad for a break in all the gloom and doom talk, “My clan’s coming. It would totally blow Grammi and Gruffi and Zummi away! It’d be worth it just to see their faces.”  
  
Despite himself, Corvi gave a small smile as they walked. Despite the danger, despite the frightening horribleness that was coming, it was so refreshing to hear such an…innocent reason behind something. It gave a light to his heart that was much needed. “Jani'sh.” He stressed the pronunciation. “That’s a greeting.”  
  
Cubbi tried it himself, messing up three times before Corvi stopped, knelt and moved his lips in the way they needed to move. Then, he finally said it right.  
  
“Now, if you want to introduce someone…”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lorath Wood_**  
  
Grammi was easily moving the fastest though Gruffi was not far behind. In fact, the entire group: Sunni, Zummi, Tummi, Gruffi, Grammi, heck, even Gusto had left his art work to come, was rushing as if a fire was chasing them. The desire to see their youngest was strong. That was easy to see, even if one was not familiar with them. Grammi easily held the most desire. She had not stopped talking about Cubbi since their departure. She was asking if they thought he had been sleeping well, eating right, if he was learning well, if he had made any friends. All sorts of concerns that just poured out of her mouth.   
Gusto as always, was quick to assume the cub was having the time of his life. Grammi was somewhat relieved by that thought but she had raised the cub. It was impossible for her not to worry!   
  
Gruffi was not quite so verbal but anyone could see he felt the same. He just didn’t express it in the same way. He had playfully remarked that Cubbi was probably driving all of Gummadoon crazy. Inwardly though, he had wondered how that rambunctious kid was doing amongst such a structured city. Hopefully, it was grinding some discipline into that child’s wild ways though honestly, Gruffi as much as he complained, hoped not too much. That kid’s crazy energy was part of what made him Cubbi. If they could have learned to harness it, they’d have quite the knight in the future; he knew that for a fact.   
  
Zummi had kept oddly quiet, though he did smile every so often. Gruffi was a bit put off by it. Something was up but the elder magician would not comment on it. He had mentioned, just once, that he did not know what it was exactly but that something for certain was amiss and it was causing him a bit of worry. Gruffi usually considered Zummi a bit eccentric but a worry wart but not usually a part of that. Maybe that was why it bothered him so much. The last few days the older gummi had been ‘off’ for lack of a better word. Worrying yes but not like he usually did. If Zummi worried, he typically had a reason for it. But these past few days, there was no reason for it and even Zummi admitted that there was nothing amiss, just that it ‘felt’ like there was. Gruffi had caught him praying quite a bit, not something he observed typically. He hadn’t heard much of it, just a request that “make me wrong.”  
  
Troublesome.  
  
In any event, they had perhaps another hour or so to go when the sound of approaching feet put them on edge. They were rightly relieved when it turned out to be a young gummi, bearing Gummadoon’s colors. While the humans were now aware of their presence, the precaution of centuries did not vanish overnight. It was always a welcomed sight to greet another gummi. Such a good reminder to know they were no longer as alone as they had once been. Before, the few gummies they had known were rarely seen, outside of their little group. Now, they met new faces each day!  
  
“Greetings friend” Grammi began but the gummi, a grape colored fellow interrupted her, though politely.  
  
“Forgive me, my lady, I come with urgent messages. You are of the Glen, known to young Squire Cubbi?”  
  
Oh, her heart stopped as did the others. “Yes.” She replied after a short pause, “Land sakes, what’s happened?”  
  
“Too much to tell in such a short time, milady.” He told her gently “Rest your hearts that young Cubbi is well though.” He smiled faintly, though the urgency was quite clear in his eyes. “I was sent by the Gummadoon Council to seek your advice.”  
  
“Gummadoon needs OUR advice?” Sunni asked, incredulously.  
  
The gummi took a breath but Gruffi interrupted. “Alright, first off, who are you?” he inquired of their visitor.  
  
Thankful of someone taking control, the Gummadoon messenger took a deep breath, “I am Crobi of Gummadoon, good Sir.”   
  
Sunni snorted lightly but didn’t say anything. It was just funny anyone calling Gruffi ‘Sir’ at least in the way that Crobi meant it. When anyone from Gummadoon used that wording, Sunni pictured a gentleman, with a lady on his arm. Not exactly what she thought when she thought about Gruffi. However, she could also sense the urgency in the air. The messenger gummi might as well had been carrying a sign that said ‘danger, danger!’ It was in times like this that she was grateful for Gruffi. Other gummies tended to panic. She could see the signs of it in Zummi and Grammi. Tummi looked uneasy and even Gusto seemed to have lost joyful edge. Gruffi, though, like he always did, slipped into that logical stoic mode.  
  
“Gruffi.” He introduced himself, pointed at each of them in turn, “Grammi, Zummi, Sunni, Tummi, Gusto.” Then, he was all business again, “We were headin’ towards Gummadoon anyway. What in the name of fur is going on?”  
  
“So much, Gruffi.” Crobi replied. “Too much to explain right now and quite frankly, I only know bits and pieces. The Gummadoon Council asked me to come and fetch you to see if we can answer some questions regarding the Glen’s past.”   
  
Tummi blinked “The past of our home?”  
  
“More accurately, things that occurred within it” Crobi replied. “It is of utmost importance. The Council fears…”  
  
Crobi went silent, as if afraid to speak the remainder of his message but it must be said. He took a second breath and spoke out “It concerns the safety of the entire Gummi Race.” He could have spoken her name but quite frankly, he was afraid to do so, so close to Gummi Glen. It was a stupid superstition but one that most gummies abided by. His words still seemed to carry weight as the faces of the gummies about him paled considerably and they no doubt would have started all talking at once until Gruffi said,  
  
“We won’t figure anything out standing here gawking.” He eyed Crobi, “The council’s expectin’ us.”  
  
“Yes, as swift as we can come.”  
  
The group seemed to speed up as one, Gruffi and Crobi leading the pack while Zummi said another silent prayer that he was wrong.

* * *

  
  
 _ **Gummadoon Playroom**_  
  
Ivori smiled, stroking the hair of Cori lightly. The cub had curled up next to her after a time and laid his head on her lap. It was a good feeling, one that she didn’t get very often. Her other two charges were still playing though Morri did rush over to check on his brother. Ivori eyed the young cub, inquiring, “He’s fine, Morri. I think you all wore him out.”  
  
Morri didn’t respond at first, just knelt and held his hand by his brother’s mouth. After a moment, he pulled it away, saying, “’Kay.”  
  
Ivori frowned. That was unusual for a cub. Heck, she would say it was unusual for anyone that hasn’t..  
  
“Morri.” She inquired gently, “Why did you do that?”  
  
“Just checking on him.” He answered swiftly, not meeting her eyes. “I’m the big brother. It’s my job, just like Corvi checks on me.”  
  
“It is a sweet gesture, little one.” She smiled at him, stroking his hair, “But it’s the adults that have to do all the worrying. As I recall, brothers are supposed to drive each other crazy.”  
  
Morri turned from her, saying, “Do that too.”  
  
Ivori frowned, deep in thought. Morri and Cori were both acting odd. Cori especially. She supposed it could be contributed to the wild imagination of cubs but something in her gut told her that it was something else, something deeper. She found that suspicion was only complicated by the way Morri acted. He was jumpy, nervous, especially when it came to Cori’s games. More than once, he had scolded Cori on something he said, corrected him and Ivori had found herself intervening. Morri always had an odd look on his face, almost a frightened look. It was so out of place on a child.  
  
The door opening got Ivori’s attention. She recognized the blank face of Sir Ecri and was rightly surprised. “Sir Ecri?” she inquired.   
  
“You should be with the others.” He answered her shortly, though not unkindly. However, she was surprised to see a response at all!   
  
“Sir Ecri?” She inquired again. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“A feeling.” He said simply. “A bad feeling.” He eyed her “I don’t think cubs should be alone right now and neither should you.”  
  
Then, as swift as the wind, he was gone again leaving a cold feeling in the room. Ivori eyed the threesome, scooping up the slumbering Cori, “Come, I bet one of the knights would love to tell some of their stories. Perhaps Sir Gori is available” she suggested, referring to one of the older knights that was well known to play the role of storyteller to anyone willing to listen. The cubs rose to follow her and Ivori had to admit the entire atmosphere had changed with Sir Ecri’s entrance. It was cold, scary almost. However, she was not about to doubt the intuition of a knight, even one that was spiritually broken. In fact, she surmised that he might have more insight than most others.  
  
The group left the room in silence.

* * *

  
  
 _ **Gummadoon Council Chambers**_  
  
Lady Bane waited, anxiously. This was the hardest part. The magical scan of sorts. The nice thing about this type of possession was that it was not a “complete” possession. As such, she could withdraw her presence and avoid detection. It was always risky though. The stupid brat could always fight back when her grip was loose and she had no doubt whatsoever that he would. So, the best thing she could figure out to do was to break him before hand. When they had begun to walk into the council chamber, she had replayed that moment, that glorious moment, over and over. She had focused intensely on the final moment, that mind thumbing fear.  
  
By the time the magicians had stepped forward to do their work, all the cub was capable of doing was kneeling on the floor, sobbing.   
  
  
Gumlittle ground his hands into fists. All he wanted was to snatch up that sobbing child and bury him into his chest. He could not yet, he knew that and he even understood and agreed with why but by Gum that did not make this any easier! He stood as close to the cub as he could without interfering with the council, his two brothers flanking him, strong hands on his own. Their presence truly did help but the entire atmosphere of the chambers was strong with emotion. Young Tavi was not there, for the same reason that Councilor Wooddale was absent. All the same though, these gummies had grown with young Lucki as well.  
  
Despite the Council’s assurance that their magical prodding would not hurt the child, it sure looked like it was. Well, perhaps not actually, now that Gumlittle focused his ears. Those cries were the sobs of fear, not pain. He had learned the boy’s cries over the years and he could recite them, easily. In a way though, cries of fear were worse than cries of pain. It made his desire to charge forward all the stronger and the only thing that kept him rooted was his brothers’ presence so close.  
  
After what seemed an eternity, the power from the council members’ hands ceased and they looked at one another, shock registering and then sorrow and then barely contained awe mixed with joy. It was Councilor Berrybottom that stepped forward and said, with a shaky voice “We cannot sense any outside source on the young boy.”  
  
At those words, Lady Bane immediately locked her presence back to Lucki, clamping on his throat. Now, she was here, she was cleared. She was ready to…  
  
The door opened at that point and Sir Kai returned, Sir Plucki keeping a hand on Gumlittle, despite the evil glare he was getting, he nodded to the younger knight, “Report, Sir Kai.”  
  
Taking a breath, as the knight had obviously run the whole way back, he responded, “It is…empty, Sir Plucki. The casket broken apart, the body…gone.”  
  
The entire room needed no more explanation. Plucki released his brother who instantly unclasped the irons on young Lucki’s hands, letting them fall to the ground. Without waiting, the cub’s arms encircled the large knight’s neck and then he was up in his embrace. Lady Bane felt sick by all this disgusting emotion but she also knew that to deny it would be more suspicious than not. So, she tolerated it, though she thought if she had to do this for much longer, she would surely hurl.   
  
The next few minutes passed as one might have expected. Gumlittle hugged the dear cub until he thought if he squeezed him any tighter that he might hurt him, then Sir Blastus took his place and then the Captain himself. All the while, the cub sobbed. That was easy. The cub had so much sadness bottled up in him that letting it out in the form of tears was easy. By the end of the entire fiasco, the entire room felt emotionally drained and baffled. Lucki finally slid out of the embrace, though he stayed close.  
  
“I…don’t know what she wanted me for.” The cub’s voice declared, keeping a slight tremor to it. “Didn’t think to try and find out, just…”  
  
Plucki shushed the lad gently, “Be at peace, lad. We will find out what her purpose was. You did nothing wrong.”  
  
“Yes, yes I did.” The cub insisted, pulling at his hair, “I’m sorry, Captain, I didn’t listen to you.”  
  
Plucki raised a brow “In what way, dear Lucki?”  
  
Sniffling, he wiped his face with the back of his hand, “You told the squires to stay out of the battle. I…didn’t listen. I had to go help. I couldn’t just…”  
  
Gumlittle put his strong hands on the boy’s shoulders, giving him a crushing embrace from behind, “Nothing to be done about it, Lucki. Your reasons were noble.” The big knight buried his face into the cub’s hair again. Dear Gum, thank you. No matter what the circumstances, he had his Lucki back. Thank you…  
  
Their group was interrupted again as the sounds of young Cubbi calling for Plucki rang through the halls. Plucki gave a slight smile, turning from the group as the door slammed open and Cubbi started in only to freeze in his tracks.  
  
  
Cubbi had been excited to share their find, hoping maybe it meant something. He had also been ready to tell Plucki that maybe the hidden rooms meant something, that maybe Merlinni had left other clues there. He had so many things to tell the Captain but they all died in his mouth when he entered the Council Chamber.   
  
Lucki, the green furred brother of Tavi, was standing there.  
  
Lucki, who was dead.  
  
Lucki who he had seen buried himself.  
  
Lucki who still had that horrible horrible bruise on his neck.  
  
But he was here! Not in his grave.  
  
A ghost, a spirit, a walking dead…  
  
Weakness took Cubbi’s knees like a swift fever and he felt his entire face color white, even despite his pink fur. He never took his eyes off Lucki, didn’t hear Plucki calling to him or heading over to him. Despite all his bravado, Cubbi screamed and bolted from the room, fast as lightning, the Gummadoon Captain on his heels, brushing past young Corvi in the hall.   
  
The teen followed them with his eyes a moment, baffled then entered the room himself. As Cubbi had, the boy froze, his eyes locked on Lucki.  
  
Great Gum, this was impossible.  
  
Lucki was…yet he was…  
  
The green furred preteen gave a gentle smile, “Hey Corv.”  
  
That voice. It was Lucki. But Lucki was dead. Lucki had died.  
  
Yet he stood in front of him. That was Lucki’s face. That was Lucki’s voice. That was Lucki’s shy wave, that was Lucki’s…  
  
Stressor upon stressor finally cracked with this revelation. Corvi’s brain ultimately decided enough was enough and he had enough comprehension to stammer, “Kaa’niask” before his eyes rolled back and he hit the ground with a large thump.  
  
Lucki winced, “I’m doing that to a lot of people.”


	29. Chapter 29

Amid all the strong emotions in the room, Flurryfeather had the wits to go off and collect Healer Sarrika, someone brought the poor lad some food because he looked a bit starved from being in Lady Bane's keep, and not a one of them dared bring up the suggestion of telling Tavi or Wooddale. None were capable yet of even formulating a query, a statement, without bursting into tears. Plucki might have, or Gumlittle or Blastus, but no one was about to tell them to leave Lucki for such a mentally taxing chore and Plucki ran out. Let it settle, give it a moment, let it sink in, and surely someone would rush off to fetch them.  
  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Outer Hallways_**  
  
No one they passed seemed to think it odd, Cubbi screaming as he ran down the hall. So much had been going on of late; it was starting to feel like just one of those things. Seeing Sir Plucki charging after the cub certainly got a few startled looks.  
  
"HOLD, SIR CUBBI!" Plucki bellowed, for even though he was still a spry knight, chasing after a young cub was still strenuous work.  
  
That title, that commanding voice caused the pink-furred lad to halt in his tracks but he was locked up from neck to toes. He turned, wooden, and the fear in his eyes was very apparent.   
  
"S-sir Plucki? Why were you talkin' to that g-g-ghost?" he managed to get out.  
  
The gummi knight captain sighed and stepped forward, a bit of a patient smile on his face. "That was no ghost. It's Lucki. Somehow. We're still looking into that."  
  
"Then... he's a ghoul! Or... or... a zombie?"  
  
"No. He's not dead. I saw him bleed myself."  
  
Cubbi frowned, not convinced. "Illusion? Possession? Golem?"  
  
Sir Plucki shook his head. "No. That gummi in there truly is Lucki. Councilor Spinwillow and the others all confirm he is not possessed, nor his body a fake. You... saw the bruising?"  
  
Cubbi nodded quickly, swallowing in a dry throat. "... Yeah. So... What's he said for himself then? Can he talk?"  
  
A nod. "Said Lady Bane resurrected him for some unknown but surely devious plan." At this, the knight captain's teeth ground and he looked away.  
  
Cubbi approached, saw the far look in his eyes, wondered what Plucki might be thinking, and realized it prob'ly had something to do with his dead wife and son. "Sir Plucki? If he really is back... Um... Can we do that?"  
  
The pain in his mentor's eyes at that suggestion... It about broke Cubbi's heart and he kicked himself mentally for even saying it. The silence was painful. He just wanted to hug Sir Plucki, but it felt wrong, especially when he just reminded the gummi captain of his dead wife and cub!  
  
It took a moment to reschool his emotions but Plucki finally replied, "No. We can't. When one's life is extinguished, it is gone. Which makes it even harder for us to know that witch had a hand in bringing him back. Are there repercussions, a price to pay for this unnatural occurrence? Is it permanent? Is Lucki on borrowed time? Is Lady Bane someone still working something beneath the veil of his shocking return? We... We don't know, lad. We just don't know."  
  
Only one other thought took Cubbi. "How's Tavi taking it?" he asked cautiously.  
  
Plucki shook his head. "We've not told her, nor Councilor Wooddale. We had to be sure."  
  
"And now you are?"  
  
Sir Plucki gave a nod. "As far as we are able to tell, Lucki has somehow returned."  
  
 _ **One Of The Communal Fire Hearths Of Gummadoon**_  
  
Ivori had found old Sir Gori at the fire, as usual. His bones protested much movement these days but his wit was as sharp as ever and she definitely caught the swivel of one torn ear at the cacophonous sound of three boisterous approaching cubs. She chuckled as they tried to clamor onto his gnarled knees and he grunted in mock hurt. He was such a grand storyteller and started in right away with one of his fantastic tales. Oh, she knew it well. As a cub not much older than Cori, she recalled listening to the retelling of how Sir Gori lost a chunk of his ear to a gryphon he'd accidentally stumbled into. In the end, they'd parted ways peaceably but not before a bit of rough-and-tumble. Oh, she could nearly recite the tale by heart. Sighing wistfully, Ivori missed those days.  
  
"Again! 'Nother!" Shouted little Cori, bouncing on the old knight.  
  
"Oof! Not so rough, young one! Let's see..." Knight Gori glanced her way. "Lady Ivori, could I trouble you for a hot tea? This one will leave my throat a bit dry."  
  
"Sure. No trouble at all. If these two get out of line, Morri will help you wrangle them, won't you?"  
  
"Yes'm." Morri said dutifully.  
  
Ivori stood from her chair and slipped around the corner. She felt no twinge of leaving the four because, really, the spare kitchen inlet really was just around the corner. She heard the children asking for all sorts of tales of heroism and monsters and daring deeds. Hm. Not all of the children. As the tea kettle began to whistle, she heard Sir Gori ask little Morri what kind of story he wanted to hear. The twiny pitch of sound crescendoed and she missed his response but the room had gone very quiet. It wasn't until the herbs were steeping that the talking started up again.  
  
"Why, lad, would you ask that?"  
  
"..... No reason."  
  
"Well, frankly, I'm not going to oblige that request." she heard the knight say kindly though he sounded a bit shaken. "Go on now. Play a bit by the rug there. See if you can picture the dragons and witches from my stories in the patterns and shapes, eh?"  
  
Ivori returned with the hot tea, a look of concern on her face. She waited until the children were playing as instructed before she asked the old knight, "What did Morri ask you?"  
  
Old Rori turned to her and leaned closer to close in the response to a hushed whisper. "He asked me to tell a tale in which a gummi died."  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
Coming out of the mental torture was a slow process for Lucki. Even though he'd endured reliving his death more than ten times already, it still held quite an impact. He could hear the witch's snarly mental smirk as the thought made him shudder yet again. She was fully in control but he had full awareness again and took whatever comfort he could knowing that Gumlittle held him very tightly still. Couldn't feel it... Lady Bane was not allowing him the full sensory of his body at present so he just remembered what it felt like to be in their loving embrace once more. Without a father or mother, Gumlittle and Aunt Toffi were all he had to fill those important roles. He'd both feared and greatly wished to see them most of all while trudging up to the gates of Gummadoon. His homecoming so far had been better than he could have dreamed. And seeing Corvi again! Now if only Aunt Toffi and Tavi could come in and see him. He could imagine feeling their arms around him again, holding him, feeling that profound love and--  
  
The black-purple wind of choking presence which pronounced Lady Bane's metaphysical attention and wrath surrounded his soul, pressed it keenly and forcibly into any recess she could access to try and bury him.   
  
_Shut up, you! You sicken me more than I can ever express! I can't wait to be rid of you disgusting bears!_  
  
She'd shut out Lucki completely from awareness or control of his body but sudden voices hit their shared ears and then faded to nothing. Sight and sound faded completely from her control. Lady Bane's inner voice to gasp. She'd neglected the body for just a moment in her insane rage. Without anyone to command it, it had gone slack. Not dead, not a ceasing of breath or heart. Just... mostly unconscious. Well, it was inevitable. It was a living thing and currently stressed and pressed. Even if it was only a meat suit -- a donkey with which to courier her -- it, too, needed rest. No getting around that.  
  
And while the two entities in the green furry body were left unawares of the outside world, Gumlittle tried to calm a horrified Sarrika when she was brought in.  
  
"No. No!"  
  
"Be still, Healer. It really is him."  
  
She shook her head, adamant. "No. It's impossible. Gum would never allow..."  
  
"Be that as it may," Gumlittle sighed. "It's Lady Bane's doing, so he says. However it's been done, could you look him over? See? He's unconscious now. Wore himself out no doubt."  
  
Sarrika edged closer, clear revulsion on her face. She did not want to touch what she considered to be an abomination but she had a duty to uphold and, truly, if this really were a fellow gummi and he were in distress or had need of her... She sucked up her great disgust and hesitation and proceeded to examine the young gummi.  
  
It was both shock and dismay she felt after straightening and looking over the expectant faces of knight and councilor alike. "Yes, he appears fine. Healthy enough. I... I don't know what to make of it, and honestly it troubles me."  
  
"Yer not the only one. But... It's truly possible, right? Dark magic can bring back the dead?" Gumlittle asked, his eyes falling again to the unconscious form in his arms.  
  
Sarrika looked to the councilors to confirm it before replying. "Yes. It's been heard of but never like this. Mind you, I've only heard rumors but... It never ends well. When one is brought back after being deceased, the soul and body have already separated. They do not wish to join back up, having felt that separation before. I don't know what Lady Bane has done but if what you say is true and Lucki sounds sane... I... I just don't know. I don't understand." She shook her head and had to leave the room, unable to do or say more or to even be in the same area as... well, she supposed she had to admit it was Lucki. At least for now.  
  
With all the commotion and high emotion, Corvi fainting wasn't forgotten necessarily but no one had their proper wits about them or they'd have stopped Healer Sarrika leaving and asked her to have a look at him, too. Not that he wouldn't have been embarrassed enough to know he'd passed out but, yeesh!, what a goose-egg he had when he came to.  
  
Sitting up slowly, the room swimming a bit, the first person to catch his eyes was Sir Blastus. His mentor had been sitting with him, waiting for him to awaken.  
  
"<Are you alright?>" Blastus asked him in French.  
  
"Oui." He winced as his probing fingers touched the tender raised bump. Then he glanced furtively at Sir Blastus. "<It's not a dream? Lucki...?>"  
  
"Non. <Not a dream.>"  
  
Corvi sighed. "Was afraid of that... Okay. You gotta tell me everything. Please."  
  
The Gummadoon knight gave a gentle smile. “<There is not much to tell, Corvi but I shall try.>” He stood, offered Corvi a hand up, which the lad took. Once on his feet, Blastus added “<But let us talk in my chambers.>” Corvi was surprised but not surprised at that. Knights generally reserved their chambers for their more private talks. As much as Corvi wished to follow where they had taken Lucki, he was also rightly unnerved. What in Gum’s name was going on? Or perhaps it was not in Gum’s name but the darker half of that deity. He shuddered lightly at that and turned as Blastus stroked that tender spot on his head, “<I’ll get you some ice for that as well.>”  
  
It was in this way that the two found themselves in Blastus’ quarters, Corvi in one of the chairs, pressing a small ice compress to his head. Perhaps attempting to break the tension, he snorted lightly and said “<Please tell me I didn’t faint like some kind of hysteric.>”  
  
A small chuckle as Blastus took his own seat, a mug of hot tea in hand. He handed a second to his squire, stating “<Not like a hysterical anything but yes, you passed out.>”  
  
“<Gum…>” the teen’s cheeks colored a bit and his mentor managed another smile,  
  
“<No one would blame you for it, Corvi.>” the knight reassured him, “<If I recall correctly, Sirs Aendi and Templi had the same reaction.>”  
  
That was some comfort but Corvi added quickly, “<So…that WAS Lucki?>”  
  
The knight gave a nod “<It was.>”  
  
“<B-but he’s dead. I saw him…we all saw him…>”  
  
Blastus gave a firm nod “<Yes. We do not know how it happened but Lucki is alive.>” he stayed Corvi’s questions with a hand “<He is no copy, he is no ghoul, he is not possessed. He is very much alive.>”  
  
Corvi’s breaths came short. He thought such a thing impossible. Not even Gummi magic held that kind of ability. How was it possible that one dead could be brought back? Perhaps selfishly, he thought to his lost mother. If it were possible with Lucki, then perhaps…”<I thought reviving the dead, heck, even healing people, was impossible with magic.>”  
  
A nod “<It is. Such a thing is unnatural and we only know stories of those restored. The souls and bodies do not reconnect well. We do not know how Lucki is affected. He may just be here temporarily; he may have some unforeseen consequence to this. We just don’t know.>” Blastus sounded like a reflection of his older brother’s same speech but really how else could this be said? There was so much they didn’t know. All they knew thus far was that he was alive and seemed healthy. It was about the most unnerving thing one could experience.   
  
The hope that had started in Corvi’s heart died like a flower in winter’s grasp. “<Then how…>”  
  
“<Lady Bane.>” Blastus took a moment to grind his teeth and close his eyes before addressing his squire. Corvi saw that so little. He nearly forgot what it was like to see Sir Blastus truly angry. Given the circumstances though, he could hardly blame him. “<Lucki had little information on her plans, just that there was one.>”  
  
Corvi nodded, staring at his tea. It suddenly seemed unappetizing but truthfully, lately, not much was. He honestly couldn’t remember how much he ate anymore. It had become an almost robotic action. Maybe that was why the tea that normally tasted so good seemed to burn his gut? “<Wow…where is Lucki now?>”  
  
A gentle and caring smile as the knight reached out and stroked his squire’s cheek. “<Gumlittle took him to rest and I assume someone will be alerting Wooddale and Tavi soon. Once they have had their greetings, I am sure Lucki would welcome a reunion with his best friend.>”  
  
For what felt like the first time in weeks, Corvi smiled.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Outer Halls_**  
Cubbi eyed his mentor, “Sorry.” He finally stated. It seemed a petty statement after the major mess-up he’d just done but the Gummadoon Captain merely smiled. He knelt to the cub’s level and held him at arms’ length. The cub looked him over; he was unused to seeing such emotion in his Captain’s eyes. It was bothering him. He didn’t want him to be sad or anything. The fact that he probably TRIGGERED it made it even worse. Yet the Captain still just smiled and lifted a thumb, wiping at the bottom of the boy’s left eye.  
  
Drat! He was crying?! Cubbi swiftly mashed his hands into his eyes, commanding the tears to cease. Despite his embarrassment, that act got a small chortle from the Gummadoon leader and that reassured him. As did Plucki’s strong voice, “Sorry for what, my lad? If it is about your inquiry, do not be. I would be lying if I did not say the thought entered my mind.” He locked eyes with the boy “And if it is because of the running, do not apologize for that either. Though, I do wish you would run TO me rather than away when you are frightened.”  
  
Cubbi’s cheeks flushed. “Wasn’t—“ he went quiet as he realized denying being afraid would just make him look like a lying idiot. So instead, he trailed off and drooped his ears.  
  
“Do you not recall what we discussed about fears, my lad?”  
  
The cub shook his head “I ‘member.” He reassured him, “Just…pretty stupid fear to have.” He pouted to himself “Being ‘fraid of spirits and stuff.”  
  
“Oh, I do not think so,” Plucki argued “Everyone has their own fears, for different reasons. It is by facing and pushing through them that we are truly brave.”  
  
Cubbi frowned, eyed the Captain “So, what are YOU afraid of?”  
  
The Captain gave a smile as he stood “It might surprise you to learn that the Captain of Gummadoon despises snakes.”  
  
Cubbi gaped “No!”  
  
The Captain ruffled the boy’s wild hair “Oh, yes. I always have. Just as Blastus despises medical exams.” He chuckled lightly at that. “It takes much convincing from Big Brother to make him seek out a Healer.”  
  
Cubbi protested “But you’ve fought dragons and stuff and those are like huge snakes!”   
  
Plucki nodded “I have. But do you not recall the second part of my lesson, young knight?”  
  
Cubbi thought deeply. “Yeah, you said it was fighting through your fears, not being not afraid, that makes you brave.”  
  
The knight cocked a brow, waiting patiently for the cub to come to his own conclusion. It did not take long. “Oh.” The boy said simply.   
  
Plucki said nothing more on it, simply stated, “We have sent a messenger for your clan, my boy. They should be here soon.” He knew how fast Crobi could be and it would not surprise him to see the Glens here within a few hours. The sooner, the better!  
  
That got a smile from the cub, whose eyes obtained that beautiful sparkle again as he beamed widely at his mentor “can I introduce them to the others?”  
  
The Captain responded gently, “Of course. I have no doubt you will have much to tell them. Just know that we will need to speak to them swiftly so do not be disappointed, understand?” He did not doubt the cub had much to tell his family and he did not want him to be disappointed that the time may have been short. All the same, it would not have been fair to not allow him time to show off his accomplishments. He did want to speak with the Glens, not just about the subject at hand but about how well the young lad was faring.  
  
Cubbi gave a firm nod of understanding, his mood significantly lighter.   
  
The young cub walked with his mentor down the hall. After a moment or two, Plucki inquired, “What were you in a rush to get me for before this entire revelation with Lucki, lad?”  
  
Memory flashing through his mind, Cubbi jumped to attention, “Oh yeah! Well, Corvi and I thought we would look through the old passageways ‘cause he said that’s where Tavi got the book. Corvi said that he used to go down there a lot when he was younger and that there were a lot of older rooms down there. So, we thought it might be a good place to look. Never got a chance to look though cause we were walking through the hall and I found this ol’ key.”  
  
Plucki’s attention peeked. “A key?”  
  
The cub nodded “Yep, it was buried under dirt and stuff but when I went to pick it up, this voice told me that I needed to leave it. That we would need it later.” Cubbi frowned. “So I left it. But Corvi didn’t hear the voice.” He eyed Plucki and put a hand over his heart “I swear Plucki, not making it up. It really did hear something.”  
  
“I believe you, my lad. It is a disturbing thing, hearing voices that others cannot.” He frowned, thinking. It could have been spirits, it could have been Lady Bane (Gum forgive) but he had so little information it was impossible to make a good judgement call. He was about to ask Cubbi for more specifics of the hallway when excitement sprung up in the courtyard. Cubbi, always the energetic one, ran to the window, standing up on his tip toes. Then, without another word, he took off like a shot, shouting back to Plucki  
  
“They’re here, they’re here!”  
  
Deciding that to push the issue would not achieve anything, Plucki gave a faint smile, followed by a gentle head shake and followed his rambunctious squire down the halls, calling “Do not run, my lad! They will still be there in five minutes!”

* * *

  
 ** _One Of The Communal Fire Hearths Of Gummadoon_**  
  
Lady Ivori did not move from Sir Gori’s side, eyeing the elder gummi as the three cubs played. The adults were on focused on Morri primarily. The cub had taken some of the toys that were always stored in Gummadoon’s sitting rooms (given that Gummadoon was blessed with children) and was playing out some imaginary game with his friend while Cori would chime in when he felt the need. Ivori found some comfort in the presence of the elder knight, as much as when she was younger. Sir Gori rose at one point to venture to the bathroom, assuring the young charges that when he returned, he would have a new tale for them. This was met with many cheers as the cubs continued their game.  
  
Ivori was drawn back to the issue plaguing her heart when the third gummi cub, one of Sir Hati’s children, became frustrated and told Morri, “Stop it Morri!”  
  
“Stop what?” Morri inquired.  
  
“You keep doin’ the same thing. Your character keeps going to sleep and then you just leave them there. Make them wake up and play! They need them to fight the dragon!”  
Cori shook his head “Uh uh. No wake up.”  
  
Morri met his friend’s gaze solemnly, though he was unaware he carried such a weight to his eyes, “Sometimes they _don’t_ wake up, Panni.”  
  
Panni eyed his friend oddly, “They always woke up before. You used to make the coolest characters. What happened to Sir Braavi from our last game! He was neato!”  
  
Morri frowned, shook his head “Don’t wanna play him no more.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Just don’t.”  
  
Frustrated, Panni pulled his toys out of the pile, “You’re not fun anymore.” He accused. “No fun playing with characters that just go to sleep. That’s boring.”  
  
The young cub made no response but his younger brother Cori walked over, picked up a toy, saying “He stay ‘wake and s’eeping one go ‘way.” Morri handed the small toy to his brother and Cori vanished with the toys behind the chair before coming back with only one in hand. “S’eeping one gone.”  
  
Ivori put a hand over her mouth, listening silently. “What cub plays that out?” she muttered aloud to herself. She had seen many a game among cubs but this one was new. While the cubs never mentioned it, she FELT the morbid mood to it. Morri’s eyes never changed, always   
  
“One that’s seen it.”  
  
The voice was sudden and unexpected. Ivori whirled about, finding Sir Ecri standing behind her, eyeing the cubs with empty sight but there was a light there that had been missing for quite some time and she saw concern dancing in them. “Oh, Sir Ecri. I didn’t hear you come in.”  
  
He didn’t give her a response but his eyes never left the cubs. He carried an odd look to him. It was a look that mirrored what he once looked like—serious but capable of deep conversation and discussion. However, this look was all seriousness and he had an air about him that told Ivori that he was probably just as disturbed by this play as she was. He never said anything but he didn’t have to. It was written all over his face. He frowned, narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin, deep in thought.   
  
Ivori was quiet again for a few moments, “One who’s seen it?” she repeated the knight’s words.  
  
Ecri nodded, he kept his gaze hard and would not meet her eyes but asked, “Mother say anything?” He kept his question short but Ivori could definitely see the point behind it. She wished she had a chance to ask Cressi about her two sons but that had not been available. The linguist, according to her eldest son, had left Gummadoon in the previous days, leaving her young children under their elder brother’s care. Corvi wisely brought them into the palace during that time period but he had not said anything about something unsettling at home. Surely, he would have?  
  
“Oh, Corvi brought them.” She informed the knight gently. “Said his mother was needed in Ursalia suddenly so he brought them here.”  
  
Ecri nodded, silent once again.  He placed a strong hand on her shoulder and then was gone. Ivori was certain he was off to help with all the commotion she heard gathering but instead the knight turned to the right. She frowned, baffled but decided not to investigate. Luckily, Sir Gori returned at that moment and captivated his audience once again, as only he could. The cubs were glad for the break from their game and Ivori sighed a bit in relief. At least that meant for a time she would not be subject to play that seemed all too real to her and disturbing to her.  
  
As for Sir Ecri, he headed the opposite way from the commotion, up the towers. He had been focused so much on potential dangers lately but his eyes did not miss the old signs. A cub did not just act out things like that. They had to see it, hear it or something. He wondered if Cressi could let them know what was going on. While Ecri did not normally get involved, especially lately, he felt a strong connection to this. Perhaps it was because he had also been hit with death lately. It was not the same, he was sure, but it was a pain nonetheless. He would not wish this pain on his worst enemy, let alone a child. He made a note that he should have Blastus speak to Corvi about it. Frowning, he paused, slightly. He had not spoken to his mentor in several weeks. Not since before the battle actually. It wasn’t that he was TRYING to be isolative. It had just kind of happened. He didn’t want to talk to anyone. Even to Blastus…  
  
Okay, maybe that was a lie.   
  
He did want to talk to Blastus but at the same time, he didn’t want to. He tended to let his walls down around that knight, the effects of that bond they’d established through those long years of training. He couldn’t let down that wall because if he did, he would start crying and he felt he would never stop if he started. He was not the only person who had lost someone and he was not about to burden another with his pain when he should have been able to cope with it himself. He just needed time and the pain would stop. It would stop. It would stop.  
  
It _had_ to stop.   
  
In any event, he could not focus on it. Not with the threat of Lady Bane lingering. The mere thought of that sorceress made him tremble in rage, not a feeling he was used to. All the same, he had taken to reading up on dark magic, which was another thing that made him uncomfortable. He had never been one to bother with magic, always more interested in science and strategy. However, in this case, it was a way to become acquainted with the enemy’s tactics. All the same, it made him uncomfortable, reading about all the horrific things she could potentially do. More disturbing than he ever thought; the things that dark magic was capable of was truly mind-boggling.   
  
In a way, he was glad to take a break from it. He was struggling to stay calm, to stay sane in a way. Inwardly, he supposed he knew that he could only handle so much and that he had not exactly been doing things to alleviate it.   
  
Which brought him back to Morri, Cori and Corvi. He didn’t know what was going on but something had happened. The way the cubs played and talked told him that much and Corvi’s rather avoidant behavior as of late didn’t help his thoughts on the matter either (though he surmised he was hardly one to discuss avoidant behaviors). He needed to know what had happened in that little household. Hopefully, the gummies had become organized enough that the gummi woman would be able to respond quickly. He could not avoid to be distracted for too long from his preparation for attacks but he could not stand by and NOT do something either.   
  
It didn’t take long to reach his destination. It took less time to aim it. Frowning, he set the coordinates to “Ursalia” and took advantage of the sunlight to tap out a rather brief message  
  
“Sir Ecri of Gummadoon. Contact with Lady Cressi requested.”  
  
That accomplished, he recited his statement, over and over and walked down, heading for Blastus’ quarters. He would make his statement of concern for Corvi and that would be it. That would be it.  
  
Yes, just keep repeating that, the knight recited to himself as he walked. It’s about the cubs, nothing else.

* * *

  
 ** _Gumlittle’s Quarters_**  
Consciousness came slowly for both the spirits inhabiting that green body. Lady Bane found herself wandering the planes between consciousness and dreams, a mixture of her memories and the gummi cub’s that she inhabited. It was a disgusting thought to think that her memories were blended with that of her enemy’s but more disturbing was the memory she found herself wandering. It was one that she knew well, as it was one that had been burned into her memory. Wandering through the forests, seeking out a supposed gummi colony. She had found what remained of it as the entire warren had been destroyed, broken gummi bodies littering the entire landscape. She had slipped into it, seeking out any remaining magical artifacts when she came across her.  
  
Her.  
  
Hair as long as her own, darker than midnight. Fur of the same shade and eyes, eyes that could burn holes into your soul. Those eyes had locked on hers and Lady Bane had found herself frozen, stuck in place, unable to move or even to breathe. The magic and power that radiated from the gummi had been staggering. It was a literal visible aura that followed every movement she made like a dark shadow. That moment, Lady Bane had been certain that Death’s breath had touched her neck.   
  
But no. The Gummi had released her, left her to flee, the only time she recalled running from anything.   
  
Jerking from the memory, she forced the gummi’s eyes wide open. That big gummi knight, the one called Gumlittle was right next to the bed and stroked the boy’s face again.  
  
“Hey, Sleepy. How are you feeling?”  
  
Oh, spare me. Lady Bane groaned in disgust but she hadn’t the energy to protest the blasted cub right now. That memory…that crystal clear memory unnerved her. It always did but more so now. For some reason, it was stronger now. So, for now, she let that damn cub get his emotional fix. All she had to maintain was the keep his mouth shut about her, which did not take much effort. If letting the brat wallow in some big knight’s embrace kept him from fighting her, good. It really was disgusting how he clung to all these people. No sooner had that knight inquired then the brat was out of bed and in his lap, clinging to his neck. The gummi knight responded by wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace, saying softly, “You’re alright, it’s okay.”  
  
“But what if I’m not.” The cub protested. “What if I’m not, what if she’s planning something, what if—“  
  
“Shh, shh, shh.” Gumlittle soothed the cub, stroking his hair, saying gently, “Lucki, playing the what-if game is just going to make you sick. We’re working on that. She isn’t going to hurt you. I…I’ve got you back. Nothing’s touching you.” He gave a tight squeeze, “You trust me, right?”  
  
A quivering nod. “It’s just…I barely know my own body right now.” That much was true. Lady Bane controlled mostly everything but even she was having difficulty with some things. It seemed that a resurrected body still had aspects to it that were hard to control, things that no matter who was the puppet master, were not remastered instantaneously. Besides that fact, she was used to a human body not a gummi one. That aside, she was so focused on…on whatever it was she needed to be focused on that she neglected certain aspects. Lucki was beginning to wonder if she was doing it on purpose just to humiliate him. It certainly seemed so. He was a humble cub, a shy one. Stripping in front of the others had torn his pride and Lady Bane had laughed and laughed at it.   
Yet, there were times when she was there…but not there. Yet, at the same moment, he was not either. It felt like he was curled into a ball of space with Lady Bane’s soul always filling the body, like water filling a glass. He felt more like an ice cube, something that would occasionally touch aspects of his own body.   
  
Now, as he lay in Gumlittle’s arms, not only did she not allow him that sensory perception but she made him acutely aware of another. His face flushed brilliant red and she definitely was taking delight in making him stammer, “Oh Gum, I..I..”  
  
“Shh.” Gumlittle put a finger to boy’s lips even as he set the cub on the bed and moved to the connecting washroom, running some warm water. “It’s alright Lucki.”  
  
“Is not.” He protested, pressing his legs together, his whole body coloring at the realization of what had happened. Really? Was it necessary for Lady Bane to humiliate him so much that he relieved all over himself?   
  
Truthfully, Lady Bane was only partially responsible. Granted, she took pleasure in the brat’s humiliation and battered pride but when she had awakened from that memory, her attention was so divided and distant that, with no mind truly in control, the body took care of other necessities as an infant’s body would…with no conscious control. As irritating as it was for her, it was also satisfying to feel the brat’s indignation. Humilation and broken pride did wonders to keep things in control and so far that was working beautifully.  
  
As for Lucki, he wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself, even as Gumlittle returned, helped him to the bath, helped him wash down, though he should have been able to do so himself. He was eleven years old. Granted, he had just been returned from the grave but he was no baby, despite what his actions seemed to be saying. Lady Bane constantly taunting him over it just served to fuel his fire. He jerked his arm from the large knight once, stating “I can do it, ‘Little.” Gumlittle, though surprised, merely smiled and released the cloth to him.  
  
Lucki froze and he felt Lady Bane balk too, resulting dropping the material into the water.   
  
It had not been Lady Bane that had jerked that arm away.  
  
That had been Lucki.   
  
The cub blinked, felt out with his soul. It seemed like his consciousness had spread like a thin blanket, something he had not even been aware of and it had seeped even under Lady Bane’s awareness.  
  
While the sorceress quickly clamped down on it, took the power back, the young cub found that his soul’s essence did not retreat back into a small hole. It was growing. It was seeping back into his body, bit by bit. Lady Bane was pushing it back but it still spread. Before long, was it possible her partial possession would no longer be possible? Then, oh then, freedom! He consciously tried for control of his arm again but this time it did not react. Odd. How had he gained it subconsciously but could not do the same consciously?  
  
Lady Bane was rightly disturbed and quickly unleashed her rage on the boy in the form of that wondrous victory of hers. As before, the boy craved, sobbing, trying everything to block out that which he could not block! This time, she did not relent, she did not give up her assault. How dare the little shrimp try and push command of even one small iota of this body! It was HERS to command, to do as she wished! Let him suffer for even trying! She was not satisfied until the cub began to plead, crying, sobbing for her to please cease!  
  
Oh, how she desired to hear that from every gummi, even single one of them would cry for mercy and she would give them none.  
  
Yet, despite her enjoyment of the boy’s pain and indignation, even as the adult gummi left to change his own clothes after helping the boy from the bath, even as she forced the boy’s limbs to not respond under the knight’s urgings, repeating that “my body feels weird…” and both relishing in the boy’s misery and gagging at Gumlittle’s gentle words, she felt a pang of fear, of discomfort, of worry.  
  
HOW had she not felt the soul reclaim power?

* * *

  
 ** _Councilor Wooddale’s Chambers_**  
  
“Take a moment, child.”  
  
Tavi shook her head, stubborn as ever. “I want to keep going, Aunt Toffi. I’m not tired.”  
The elderly councilor smiled lightly, “You are very much like your mother, child. She never liked to stop either, even if she knew she should. Regardless of if you feel tired or not, your body and mind are hardly at their peak.” The councilor was about to try, once again, to convince the determined girl to just rest for a bit when her door was knocked upon. Rising to her feet, her niece scampered to the door, opening it to find a pale-faced Sir Kai. The knight was quite young, in actuality, he was the youngest of the adult knights.   
  
“Yes, Sir Kai, what can I do for you?”  
  
The young knight took a shaky breath. He had not volunteered for this but when no one else was going to tell the Councilor, he could not stand it. He had left, silently, as Gumlittle took Lucki to get him rested, Blastus walked off with Corvi and Plucki chased off after his squire. It seemed only appropriate that someone go and tell the lad’s remaining family. He had always dreamed and dreaded of having to tell family members that one of their loved ones had been lost (although that usually fell to the Captain) but the opposite never occurred to him. As a result, he felt like a fumbling cub, stammering and tripping over his words. While all the knights had met the Councilors (it happened usually before the night of their knighting) but there was still some intimidation there.  
“I have come with…conflicting news, Councilor, Young Tavi.” He answered.  
  
That was the nearest to the truth that he could settle on. While they knew that Lucki was not under possession and he was no false form, it  was still disturbing the many things they did not know. Yet, it was no lie that they were all thrilled to have their lost little one back. He had yet to see more tears and kisses exchanged than that small moment in the main council chamber. While it was no secret that Gummadoon knights were close to their trainees, it was still pretty rare to see kisses exchanged. Hugs, ruffling of hair, and other physical signs of affection were much more prevalent. So, seeing Gumlittle, Blastus and yes, even the Captain, exchanging their affection by way of kisses to the boy’s cheeks and forehead was quite the sight. Yet underneath it all was a deep-rooted fear. Fear for Lucki, fear for Gummadoon, an overall fear of the unknown that truthfully made Kai a bit nervous and wishing more than once that he was still a squire who could run to the safety of his mentor.   
  
Conflicting seemed appropriate.  
  
Wooddale frowned, rising slowly, “Conflicting?”  
  
“Yes. I swear by all my honor and Gum as my witness that what I say is plain and true.” He gave her his deepest vow as little Tavi cocked her head at him, wondering what was up. “The rest of the council has confirmed it to be no trick.”  
  
Tavi pouted, “So what is it, already!?”  
  
“It seems that young Lucki lives again.”  
  
The room went dead silent. Tavi’s mouth dropped and Wooddale dropped back onto the bed. “W-what?”  
  
“It is no trick Councilor.” He assured her again, “I checked the grave myself.”  
  
Tavi stared at the knight, her mouth open like a fish. “M-my brother?”  
  
“Indeed, little Wizardess.” He told her, still shaking slightly, “Sir Gumlittle took him to his chambers to get him rested but it is no trick. We have run all the tests we can. He breathes, he bleeds. He lives.”  
  
Tavi tore around the knight and fled the room, her feet pounding the hall floors. Even though she knew it wasn’t nice to think about, oh she pictured what she would do if this was a trick, if this was a cruel prank. No, no one would be that cruel, not right now. They would never do that to her. Or to her aunt. But…but it was impossible, magic couldn’t do that even. But Sir Kai had sworn on his honor. If he was lying, she could ask Plucki to fire him for that offense! No, he would not lie to her.  
  
She ran down the hall, turned a sharp right, making for Sir Gumlittle’s chambers. She had to see, she had to see, she had to see. Dear Gum, do not let it be a trick…

* * *

  
 ** _Knights’ Hallway_**  
  
Blastus had just shown his eldest squire out and was putting the cups away when he heard the sound of Tavi’s feet on the hallway then sobbing from outside his door. Despite himself, he managed a smile. Someone must have finally told her and Wooddale. He could hear Wooddale’s steps not far behind her, though much slower. But those were certainly young Tavi’s sobs. Oh, it was the only time he was glad to hear sobs. This was the sob that one gave off when they were stunned, relieved, and that so much pain was gone from the soul.  
  
He headed that way, to revisit the lad himself, blinking when someone suddenly knocked on his door. A bit surprised and baffled, he opened it.  
  
He did a double take.  
  
“Ecri?”  
  
The knight looked broken, though Blastus had not realized how broken until he looked at him up close. Weary eyes, little life in them, the signs of sleepless nights, fur looking pale in color. He looked close to death himself! How had he not noticed?!   
  
If he was aware, Ecri gave no sign of how horrible he looked. The knight turned slightly, observing the commotion not a few doors down. But he licked his lips, almost nervously. “We need to speak.”

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Courtyard_**  
  
Sunni was still stunned by all the fancy things that decorated Gummadoon’s courtyard. Grammi would no doubt have been talking with the gummies about if she wasn’t so worried about Cubbi. Crobi still led the way in, though he had not told them much else, claiming that he only knew so much. Gruffi still had that stoic look to his face but that was not uncommon when something major was going on. Gusto and Zummi were about the same, looking concerned but also intrigued by the circumstances of being in Gummadoon again. Tummi, for once, didn’t seem to be focused on food, even though there was so much around.  
  
As for herself, she was about to inquire how much farther when—  
  
“SUNNI! GRUFFI! ZUMMI! TUMMI! GRAMMI! GUSTO!”  
  
The pink furred blur appeared seemingly out of nowhere and latched onto Gruffi, knocking him into the ground.   
  
Despite all the tension, laughs erupted.  
  
The pink furred blur released Gruffi after a moment, gave a huge grin up at his clan from his spot on the ground and said, firmly, with his head held high,

“Jani'sh!”


	30. Chapter 30

__**Gumlittle's Quarters**  
  
The little bursts of parental joy over helping Lucki fell like hard stones in Gumlittle's stomach and a deep frown of worry seemed to permanently furrow his brow. He hadn't wanted to see it, hadn't wanted to admit it, but Lucki was right.  
  
That worried frown was focused solely on the unaware cub once more dressed and cradled in his lap.  
  
He'd seemed fine -- except for accidentally wetting himself. But in the bath, right after he started to show even more of his usual spunky self, the cub simply stopped moving, his eyes open but focused on nothing. It was like all the life left him again. Gumlittle had called his name, yelled it even! No response, so he'd dried him, dressed him, bundled him and held him close so that any change whatsoever in his breathing would be noted immediately. He'd started talking to Lucki, too. Just quiet words of encouragement and support, but so far... Nothing.  
  
And then he heard crying approaching from down the hall. Tavi burst in and no words or explanation were needed. She stood there and saw her once-dead brother in the big knight's arms and her hands flew to try and muffle even louder sobs. He couldn't help fresh tears at this reunion, though he wished her older brother was aware, showing the same signs of life he had not fifteen minutes ago.   
  
When the girl hesitated at his door, Gumlittle smiled and beckoned her near.   
Tavi took one step, then a second, then ran the rest of the way and threw herself at the big knight, threw her arms around her brother and held on for dear life, her tears pouring like rain.  
  
Through his watery vision, he saw a second gummi. Councilor Wooddale stood at the doorframe, her hand also came up to her mouth but it was out of pure shock. She tilted slightly into the wood, needing the support of the frame as much as his door at the moment when her eyes beheld the sight of her now-alive nephew.  
  
Though the room was thick with emotion, Wooddale managed to get out, "Is... is he...?"  
  
Sir Gumlittle nodded, his smile still in place.  
  
The councilor did not stop her own silent tears at the knight's confirmation.  
  
"B-but..." Tavi squeaked out. "Why isn't he moving? His eyes are open! What's wrong with him? Brother! Talk to me! Lucki, please!!"  
  
"We don't know, little one. He was fine moments ago and then..."  
  
"No! Please, Lucki!" Tavi gave her brother a shake. "Y-ya gotta show me you're really here! No tricks!!"  
  
She was shrieking at the boy, shaking him harder. Gumlittle shifted slightly to sit up better, to reach out and calm her. As the blanket around Lucki shifted, suddenly so did the cub's weight. Tavi still had a hold on her brother and, just like that, he was putting his arms around her, holding her just as tight. She gasped and renewed her embrace. Both expelled grief and relief in loud off-countenance sobs, joined by a third -- their Aunt Toffi who rushed over to take the pair in her arms and hug them like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Sir Blastus's Chambers_**  
  
"...Alright." was all the reply Sir Blastus could manage. Had his concern been growing for the distance Sir Ecri placed between himself and all others? Yes. It was just that so much had happened over the last week. Still, how could he not feel suddenly guilty that here Ecri was approaching him and not the other way around.   
  
"There is a matter I need to bring to your attention," the lavender-furred knight began.  
What more could be stacked on? Blastus wondered, but he said nothing and gave the young knight an encouraging nod.  
  
"Lady Ivori and myself have witnessed disturbing behavior from Corvi's brothers -- behavior associated with some kind of trauma at home. I have already sent a message to Ursalia asking to speak to Lady Cressi but I thought you might also wish to look into it, given that Corvi is your squire."  
  
"I shall. But what sort of disturbing behavior?"  
  
There was a brief pause before Ecri answered. "Pretend-play centering around death and dying, and Morri's overall demeanor. You know the look of someone who has just seen death. That is what it appeared to be to me. I don't know what may have happened but something must have and I thought you should know."  
  
"Yes... Thank you."  
  
When the lavender knight turned to go, Blastus stayed him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Is there anything else? Ecri... My door is always open to you, for anything that is on your mind."  
  
The young knight's shoulders sagged under Sir Blastus's touch and the weight of his own thoughts. He turned and looked into the elder knight's eyes, his own changing from hollow orbs to eyes filled with pain, loss, anger, fear. So much emotion... It threatened to spill out in a giant gush of tears.   
  
Ecri sucked in a deep breath, preparing to turn and face Sir Blastus, preparing to unleash even some of his burden. His mouth opened.  
  
And out of Sir Gumlittle's open door came Councilor Wooddale and Tavi, each with an arm around a cub who stood and walked between them. A cub of green fur. A very familiar cub...   
  
No... No!  
  
Sir Ecri gasped as he recognized Lucki. He staggered two steps back before turning on his heels and bolting down the hall, always from the risen dead.   
  
"Sir Ecri! Come Back, mon ami!" Blastus yelled after him.  
  
No way would he turn back. No way... Ecri raced as fast as he could for one of the older libraries, the one where he recalled seeing a book on the dark magic of raising the dead.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Courtyard_**  
  
At Cubbi's voicing, Grammi and Zummi gasped, a smile blossoming on each of their faces.   
"Land sakes, Cubbi." Grammi beamed with surprise and pride.  
  
Zummi stammered out, "Oh, er, let's see here, let's see. Um... Tah-ah'hn kahnei?"  
  
The cheeky pink cub still straddling a floored Gruffi puffed out his chest and replied, "Pih-ah'hn jorei."  
  
Sunni crossed her arms over her chest, a frown on her face. "What is all that?"  
  
As Cubbi got off Gruffi and rushed up to Grammi to throw his arms around her in a stout if short hug, Zummi replied, "Oh, Sunni, it's the language of the Ancients. But I'd no idea they taught it to squires here in Gummadoon."  
  
"What are ya talkin' about, Zum?" Gusto spread his arms wide to encompass the city. "This is Gummadoon! They're like the best mix of trendy and traditional! I'm not surprised at all."  
  
Sunni suddenly found herself wrapped in a big hug as Cubbi tackled her next. "Hey!" she spoke out of startlement but not peeved. No, she missed him, too, and smiled. "Well, look at you. I think you might have even grown a quarter inch." She smirked down at him and ruffled his hair.  
  
Cubbi batted at her hand. "Aw, Sunni, I've grown at least an inch an' you know it!"  
  
"So, uh," Gruffi cleared his throat, and if anyone had asked he'd have said it was due to trail dust and not gettin' emotional over seeing Cubbi again. "How they treatin' you here? We started out to come down for a visit but that messenger guy said there's some trouble?" He indicated Crobi who'd already gone back inside Gummadoon proper.  
  
Cubbi's bursting smile dropped suddenly. Couldn't he keep forgetting that just a few seconds longer? ... He sighed. "Yeah. About that..."  
  
The gaze of the Glen Gummies shifted slightly. Cubbi instantly took notice and turned. Coming toward them with his ever-confident stride was Sir Plucki.


	31. Chapter 31

The Gummadoon Captain gave a small grin to his squire, “Lad, you left me in the dust, you know.” He truthfully wasn’t the bit irritated. With the way things had been lately, with all the stress, with all the pain and worry, it was a true blessing to see his squire take off like a shot, his eyes shining like stars. It created a much needed burst of hope and calmness in his heart. For a moment, he was able to simply forget the horrors they were faced with and simply enjoy the beautiful bluntness of a child thrilled to see his family again.  
  
  
Still, the boy could have broken several bones with the speed he tore through that city!  
  
  
The pink furred cub beamed though his cheeks turned a faint shade, “Sorry, Plucki. I was—“  
  
  
“I know.” He assured the boy, ruffling his head a bit, which the lad leaned into briefly. “I expected nothing less. Never have shame in seeing family again, Cubbi. Though, slowing your pace might be recommended.” He gave the boy another smile with the very faint chastise and directed his attention to their visitors. He greeted the ladies with a bow, a firm handshake to the males, stating, “Crobi is a quick fellow but something tells me that you were already on your way here.”  
  
  
Grammi smiled, reaching out to pull Cubbi to her for another embrace, “We were, Sir Plucki. I miss my rapscallion.”  
  
  
Cubbi despite being glad to see her again, squirmed loose, “Graaaami.” He pulled himself from her, though he didn’t move far from her side and he gave her one of his famous grins again. “Stop that. I’m not a rapscallion.”  
  
  
Gruffi gave a faint snort but didn’t stop a low chuckle before addressing Plucki, “What kind of trouble is going on, Sir Plucki?” He could feel the tension in the air. It almost rolled off the Captain like a horrid stench. The very air about him felt tense. More than that though, when Cubbi had impacted him to the ground, he had seen sadness, fear, trouble encased behind those bright eyes. Then, on top of all that, Zummi’s odd behavior as of late. The combination of it all put a very sour peel on his face and a sickening stone in his gut.   
  
  
The Gummadoon Captain paused before answering. Gruffi was as straight forward as ever. That was a valuable asset but it was not something that could be spoken about here. “That, good friend, is better addressed indoors, away from innocent ears. I dare not want to incite a panic.” He addressed them with a smile again, trying to reassure the looks of fear and worry that permeated their features, adding, “But I will need to gather some of the Council first. We’ve many people who have things to tell you and it’s far better we all do so at once.” He turned to his squire, “Sir Cubbi, can you handle a mission for me?”  
  
  
Standing up straight at attention, Cubbi puffed out his chest again, “Yes Sir!”  
  
  
“If you can see your guests inside, show them where they can freshen up a bit and get some refreshments if they so desire” he added with a pointed look at the round blue one, “but meet back in the council chamber in one hour. Can you handle that for me?”  
  
  
Cubbi nodded fervently “You betcha, Sir Plucki, I can do it!”  
  
  
Plucki gave a firm nod to the boy, “I know you can. We’ll meet you all soon.” As he gave a salute to his young squire, he added, “And refreshments do not mean stuff yourself with sugar, my lad.”  
  
  
That said, the Gummadoon Captain strode away at a fast-paced walk for the palace main. Calling after him, “I know! No sweets before dinner!” Cubbi watched him go, feeling both pride and a sense of gratitude for him as well. He knew as well as anyone that with the sense of urgency going on now that the necessary council members could have been found in under five minutes. Plucki was purposely giving him time with his clan. It would be alright to enjoy it, wouldn’t it? Otherwise, Sir Plucki wouldn’t have allowed it.  
  
  
Grinning at his clan, he grasped Gruffi by the hands, “C’mon, I’ll show you ‘round!”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Hallway of the Knight Chambers_**  
  
  
Eyes downcast, Lucki sighed, “I keep doing that.”  
  
  
Sir Blastus had taken off after his former squire, calling his name. That was the second person who had run from Lucki as if he were inflected with Plague. Granted, his sister, his aunt, Gumlittle and a lot of knights had not but to see gummies dear to him just taking off as if he were some evil spirit was heart-numbing. Though, in a way, he WAS an evil spirit. He carried something foul enough to be considered one at any rate. Still, he wanted to feel their love again, not be despised. His ears drooped. Least Lady Bane was lettin’ him do THAT.  
  
  
Tavi hugged her brother tight again, nearly crushing him in her embrace. Truth be told, even Lady Bane was taken aback by the cub’s strength. No, it was more than that. It was the cub’s body. It was not responding well. Oh, it breathed and there was no halting in the heartbeat but it was…off. She really had no words to describe why but it felt alien, even more so than it had before. It was one feeling to not know how the body operated but this feeling, while fleeting and faint, was one of being present but not being present all in the same breath. She had felt a few wisps of that sense, once in the bath and then once when the cub’s body failed him and she sought to regain control. Both times had been unnerving.  Now, faced with the fact that it may not have been a fluke, it was a serious flaw in her plans.  
  
  
When the gummi girl released her brother, her hands flew up to her mouth. Her eyes clouded with tears and she shook, almost in the same motion. Lady Bane had to clamp down on Lucki almost instantly and quite frankly, even that was not enough to stop the cub from reaching out to the sorceress. All of Lucki’s energy was suddenly not focused on himself or Lady Bane but on his little sister.  
  
  
It was hard to push down his “Tavi, what’s wrong?” and his desire to drop to his knees and hug her. His desire to make her tears stop, to tell her it would be alright. To clasp her to his chest, ruffle her hair and say ‘It’s okay, it’s Big Brother’s job to make sure everything’s gonna be okay, right?’ Hard to keep the brat from blowing her cover right then and there.   
  
  
REALLY hard.  
  
  
Suddenly, Lady Bane felt like she was wrestling a horrible beast, one that was slipping from her grip, slowly but assuredly. She tried to conjure up that image, that victory but the brat was not paying attention to it. Block his sight…no! If she did that, they would notice, but if she did not, then he was going to slip loose some control!  
  
  
Luckily, Lucki was distracted from fighting her to get to his sister by Wooddale, who  was not blind to her niece’s response, asking, “Child, what is it?”  
  
  
Lady Bane took command of the boy’s eyes, diverted them downward at the gaze of the little sorceress. Her breath froze.  
  
  
On his arms, where that blasted sorceress had hugged him, were bruises, exact replicas of her hands. It was as if the brat’s skin was made of paper!  
  
  
Gumlittle dropped to his knees by the boy, looking over his arms, taking him gingerly by the hands. “Dear Gum…”  
  
  
“What’s wrong with me, ‘Little?” the boy demanded, panic in his voice, “What’s wrong with me?!” His arms shook slightly.  
  
  
It was easy to vent some of her own frustration in that yell. This made no sense! The brat’s body had been slow to respond before but it had been firm, it had not crumbled this easily! All that dragging and pulling she had put it through in her palace and the worst that her puppet had to show for it was a busted lip! Now, the simple act of a hug from a younger sibling put deep purple bruises that could even be seen through his green fur?! This made no sense! Her plan would not crumble to this!  
  
  
“I…I do not know, Lucki.” Gumlittle’s gentle baritone sought to comfort the cub by staying calm. Though, it was hard to not give into hysterics himself. Those bruises were so deep, so bright in color. From a simple contact? “But stay calm, lad. Becoming panicked will not help matters.”  
  
  
The cub took a shaky breath, trying to do as he was told. For now, it seemed, Lady Bane was letting his emotions reign supreme as she tried to figure out this phenomena herself. Her spell had not created a copy-body. No, this spell had been much more involved and complex. It WAS the cub’s body, plain and simple! It was a fully restored, healthy body! The soul was fully present; there should have been no issue! Why in all the Hells was his body reacting like this? She had no explanation and that was unacceptable. Magic was her forte, especially dark magic!  
  
  
“Come,” Wooddale took her nephew by the hand, “Let us visit Sarrika once more. Perhaps she can give a more in depth look.”  
  
  
Lucki lowered his eyes again, “If she doesn’t take off running from me like I’m a disease.”  
  
  
Gumlittle tilted the boy’s face up, “Lucki, it’s something unprecedented. She doesn’t know what to expect. Gum, NONE of us know what to expect.” He bit his lip, “I would feel better if she looked you over again though. You blanked on me, for a good fifteen minutes!”  
  
  
Lucki nodded, taking a firm hold on his little sister and Aunt as they walked down the hall, “Alright but if one more person takes off running from me, I swear to Gum, I’m going to scream.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Hallways_**  
  
  
The commotion downstairs was hard to miss. Corvi had been heading to check on his brothers quickly before the meeting in the main hall. Plucki had been swift as ever about spreading the news about the gathering in an hour. The squires, even those that were still tired like Flynn and Toni, had been swift to drag themselves out of their rooms and try and make themselves presentable. Plucki had stated if they were too tired, they would be caught up but the boys were having none of it. So, despite their tiredness, they hurried about getting dressed and energized in time.   
  
  
He had caught Flynn in the shower rooms that the squires shared, scolded him about not having an adult watch him, to receive a “Well, you’re almost an adult, can you watch me?”  
  
  
Not about to waste time arguing with Flynn about him actually being FAR from an adult, he had relented. He was used to playing Big Brother to the younger squires and truth be told, he was allowed a lot more responsibility than most his age and it was not simply due to his knighthood-training status. As it was, he was the only one allowed to cook with the stove, unsupervised, and he routinely was allowed out later than the other boys. It used to be bragging rights for him but no, not anymore. He didn’t WANT it anymore. He’d give anything to just be the little kid again.  
  
  
Fate was not kind enough to grant him that though so instead of screaming at Flynn for being a twerp, he smiled. Inwardly, he was aghast at himself. Since when did seeing Flynn trying to do something for himself make him angry? Since when did he get agitated at the littlest thing? That wasn’t him! Never had been. Feeling the guilt like a sickness in his stomach, he hunched over, slightly, at the pain that settled there a moment before straightening up and saying, “Better make it a fast one.”  
  
  
Hence, he had been stuck for a good ten minutes as Flynn washed himself off and darted out the door. As always, his version of a “clean” washroom varied from almost anybody else’s so Corvi had mopped up the water quickly before venturing back out into the hallway, intent on not being interrupted again. Unfortunately, that never seemed to work. Toni he saw darting to and fro down the hall, apparently, looking for Gumlittle. When told he was still with Lucki, Toni’s face had fallen but he had not freaked out. Someone had obviously informed him.   
  
  
Apparently, the news of Lucki’s resurrection had spread almost as quickly as Plucki’s word about the meeting. It was spoken in whispers but everyone Corvi passed had expressed awe and concern over it. Corvi had to admit, he wanted to see his friend. Now, that the overall shock had passed, he found himself with a deep longing to see him, to see for himself that he breathed and that it wasn’t a trick. It seemed impossible and yet he had heard him, had seen him. He knew that to be true as much as he knew that knot on his head was proof of it.  
  
  
“Corvi?”  
  
  
Broken from his thoughts, he diverted his attention to the white haired cub in front of him who had not left his side, “Do you think Gumlittle is gonna be with him long?”  
  
  
Corvi’s initial response had been to get angry at Toni for being selfish before he remembered what the cub had been through. Had so little time truly passed? And again with the anger! Why? Toni was only expressing feelings, feelings that anyone would be feeling. Heck, HE wanted to go and find Blastus and just flop down next to his side. And he was getting irritated that Toni, a kid that had taken the blunt of this mess so far, wanted his mentor? Taking a breath, he calmed his nerves. That had to be it. He was on edge because of…well, everything. Emi, Lady Bane, Lucki returning, his brothers. All of it. It was making his head pound.  
  
  
A sharpness cut his gut again and he focused on Toni to ignore it. “Not sure. We still aren’t sure how he’s doing.” He paused, cocked a brow, “Did you need something?”  
  
  
Toni shrugged, “Gumlittle said any time after I bathe, he needs to rewrap these.”   
  
  
Toni held out his wrists, wincing slightly. He had taken a quick bath as best that he was able (and that was pathetic in his mind; he barely managed to scrub his face and chest, never mind his body), after Plucki’s message about meeting in an hour had passed through quickly, (more like a sponge bath than anything) but he had still gotten the wounds wet. Gumlittle always reapplied some kind of herbal mix and bandaged them for him. He understood that he was with Lucki and that the cub needed him. Heck, Toni was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Lucki was back. Maybe the fact that he hadn’t seen him was not helping. If he had seen him, he supposed it would have been easier to comprehend. All the same, he did not want to go into a meeting with these wounds open.  
  
  
Didn’t take away from the fact that he needed him too!  
  
  
Still, Toni was fully ready to admit that Lucki probably needed him more.   
  
  
Corvi drew back slightly at the sight of Toni’s exposed wounds. Seeing them, fresh, without the coverings really drove home the damage. It looked like the leather stitching on someone’s boots over a 4 inch cut on each wrist. By Gum, it looked like it hurt. There was no red, indicating that infection was still being held at bay but still! Great Gum, the wound took up most of the boy’s wrists! No wonder he couldn’t form a fist yet.   
  
  
Accepting defeat with a heavy dose of guilt from his earlier reaction to the cub, Corvi turned his task from his blood brothers to his brother-in-arms, “Come on, I know what to put on them.”  
  
  
Accepting this, the younger cub followed him down the hallway, trotting alongside him, asking, nervously, “Think we’ll get any info from Cubbi’s clan?”  
  
  
Corvi shrugged, “Hope so. Cubbi seems to think that they should know something, at least some of them.”  
  
  
“Good.” Toni frowned. “I wanna get this Emi-business done with.”  
  
  
Corvi nodded but felt deep in his heart that this was only going to get more complicated. He prayed to Gum that he was wrong though. He had so much to worry about. He was still their primary translator, despite the adults now knowing (he was fluent in written and speaking while the adults for the most part could translate with time) his brothers still needed him, and now the very real threat of Emi breathing practically down their necks. His head pounded; he had only gotten the little bit of sleep in the conference room. Once he had awakened, he had ventured off to find his brothers, then to tend to some of the chores, then helping Cubbi, then the issue with Lucki! His stomach burned a bit still, Blastus’ tea was not sitting well.  
  
  
It ALWAYS sat well! Why? Why was everything so complicated!?  
  
  
“Ah! Young Corvi, young Toni!”  
  
  
Turning, Corvi muttered a silent curse to himself but forced a polite smile, “Lady Ivori? Is something wrong?”  
  
  
She gave a gentle smile, one that she was known for as she hurried to catch him, her skirts darted around her legs and her loose white hair trailing like a flag. As always, her demeanor was calm and gentle, something all the cubs in Gummadoon knew her for. Despite this delicate greeting, little Toni frowned deeply, saying, “We’re on rest week. You’re not here to give us homework are you?”  
  
  
The elder gummi laughed gently, “Fear not, young squire. You have far enough to deal with right now-“  
  
  
No kidding, Corvi thought to himself  
  
  
“-but I was wondering if I might have a word with young Corvi, Toni?”  
  
  
He eyed his elder friend, “Corv?”  
  
  
“-Can it wait?” Corvi inquired, surprising both Ivori and Toni. It took a thing of great power to have obedient Corvi disobeying a request. “I need to help Toni really quick.”  
  
  
Ivori eyed him, “it involves your brothers.” She clarified, “Nothing dangerous for them at present but something important nonetheless. May I simply have five minutes of your time?” This bothered her. Corvi was always swift to respond to a request, especially one as simple as speaking. She had never known him to refuse. Perhaps she should have expected it as she was sure he had a lot on his head but it was still a shock! Was this yet even more evidence that what she and Ecri suspected was right? Had something horrific been happening in his home?  
  
  
Sensing she was not going to relent and honestly, feeling tightness on his heart at the thought of something concerning his brothers, Corvi relented. It couldn’t be anything serious, judging from her tone but the fact that she was seeking him out…  
  
  
Something was afoot. What had happened? The pains in his head and stomach erupted back tenfold and he bit his lip to still his tongue. He was grateful for her for looking after them during this mess but still, he could not stop the sharpness from his tone as they turned to continue on their way. He knew it would look odd, especially for him, but he felt so stressed! He wanted a break, damn it!  
  
  
“Fine.”  
  
  
While he agreed to meet with her, he made it clear; it would be done as they walked. She was swift to respond, matching his pace. They continued towards the kitchen, and consequently, towards that commotion, together. He could make Cubbi’s voice out among the shouting. There were also some other voices that were alien to him. That must have been Cubbi’s clan. So, they were nearby. That meant Cubbi would no doubt be barging in, showing everything off. Great, just what he needed, something else to draw attention to himself. Normally, he would have welcomed meeting his teammate’s family but not now, dear Gum, not now!  
  
  
“Toni?” Ivori knelt to his level, smiled, “Why don’t you wait just inside the kitchen. Once Corvi and I talk, he’ll be right with you. I think the cooks have left some treats on the counter.” She gave a smile and thumbed his nose. “Five minutes if that.”  
  
  
Toni was no fool. He knew what was adult talk for “we need to talk alone.” Still, despite knowing that, treats were still treats!  
  
  
Corvi grasped Toni’s shoulder, “Just sit at the table or something and don’t pick at those wounds.”  
  
  
“Duh.” With a grin, Toni pushed open the kitchen doors, stating, “You got the adults’ line down pat too, Corv.”  
  
  
Rolling his eyes, he ignored the smart aleck reply and focused on Ivori, “So…what’s wrong with my brothers?” His palms started to sweat before she even started talking. What was it? What else could possibly be laid on his back? He already felt like his shoulders were supporting a million pounds with no relief in sight!  
  
  
“Well, I’m concerned.” She admitted, hoping she did not come across as overbearing. “Their play is a little…disturbing.”  
  
  
Corvi froze “How so?” Disturbing was a concerning word, especially because gummies in particular were not usually associated with ‘disturbing.’  
  
  
“Death.” She stated simply, “Especially from Morri’s play.”  
  
  
“Anything…specific?” he asked, slowly, his heart racing. Dear Gum, everything was falling apart! They were going to take his brothers…  
  
  
“No, just an overall morbid mood, talk of his toys not waking up.” She eyed Corvi, “That isn’t normal. Usually only someone who has seen death does that. Has anything happened at home Corvi?”  
  
  
Biting his lip, he resisted the urge to burst into tears right there. Sure, things had happened. He and his brothers were orphans, that’s what happened! His poor Mother had died while in his care! He had failed her! Now, she was with his father and his older brother Tori. His entire family was leaving him! But he could not say any of that. “Not that I know of. I mean, Morri has been asking about Dad…”  
  
  
Ivori’s eyes went wide, as if she had an epiphany. “Oh…oh…of course. His anniversary is tomorrow, isn’t it?” Her eyes clouded with pity, “Has he been curious?”  
  
  
Realization shot through Corvi’s heart. With so much going in, he had hardly realized it was so close but now, with it brought to his attention, he realized she was correct. Tomorrow would be the yearly anniversary since he lost his father. The first year had been hard, the second one harder. Now though… “Yeah.” He stammered out, “Three years…well, not counting the mess time travel and dimensional vanishing does. Three long years.”  
  
  
He felt sick at that. Now, he was using his father’s own death anniversary to fuel a lie. If someone had backhanded him right then, he would not have fought it. Dear Gum, what this was doing to him. Making him a dishonorable liar who disgraced his poor parents even more with each day! But…but…what other option did he have? Dear Gum, what could he do? Papa, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Gum, I wish you were here…  
  
  
Ivori nodded, “It’s expected but I don’t know if that’s all it is.” She frowned, deeply. Something about Corvi’s overall demeanor told her it was something deeper but she was not going to dismiss that young Morri might be expressing curiosity about what happened to his father. After all, he had only been four years old while young Corvi had possessed nine years to his credit. With all the men rushing about, little Cori even could ask questions and who better to ask than their eldest brother? She prayed that was all it was. “See if you can get anything out of them and we’ll do what we can to help you, okay?”  
  
  
Nodding, he thanked her, softly thanking Gum that she did not press as she padded down the hall. Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding, he ventured into the kitchen, unprepared entirely for what he faced.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Kitchen_**  
  
  
Gruffi was beginning to think that nothing else would surprise him.  
  
  
Cubbi, in his typical fashion, had dragged them to as many places as he could in the hour that he had been offered. They had seen the main sitting room where Cubbi had gone on and on about all the wonderful stories he had been told, showing them some scars in the stone, where, supposedly, the one time Gummadoon had been breached, an enemy’s blade had cut into the stone only for them to be overrun by Gummi knights from all directions. Then, just as quickly, they had been ushered upstairs, Cubbi never once taking his hands off Gruffi’s. The cub had run them down the hall, pointing, “Here’s Plucki’s, that’s Blastus’, Gumlittle there. All the squires are over here. Toni is there, oh, he’s fun! Loves pranks just like I do, Gruffi! And Martin stays there, he’s really quiet but he’s fun to talk to and Flynn’s there, he’s younger than me but I’m still shorter. Grammi when am I gonna get taller? I hate being short. Oh, here’s mine!”  
  
  
It was typical Cubbi, not shutting up for a minute and barely letting anyone else get a word in edge wise.  
  
  
He loved it.  
  
  
Now, Cubbi had dragged them back downstairs again, saying they had enough time to grab something to eat (Tummi perked up at that) before they had to venture to the meeting hall. Pushing open the door, he beamed widely and the group found themselves faced with a blue furred cub with wild white hair sitting at the table, watching the side door. “Hey Toni!” Cubbi turned back to his group, “This is Toni, guys! One of the squires I was telling you about!” He turned back to Toni, “Toni, this is my clan!”  
  
  
“Duh.” The cub grinned though and met them with rambunctious eyes, “Hiya!”  
  
  
Grammi, always taken with children, approached first, “So, you’re the famous Toni we’ve been hearing about.”  
  
  
“Deny all of it and I was no where near when it happened.”  
  
  
Gusto blinked but grinned, “When what happened, kid?”  
  
  
“Whatever it is I’m potentially in trouble for.”  
  
  
Sunni rolled her eyes but laughed, “Oh great, a twin for Cubbi.”  
  
  
Toni showed her his teeth in a grin, “No way, girlie. I’m older. AND taller.” He added to his friend with a good natured smirk.  
  
  
Cubbi didn’t respond to that, asking “What are you doing?”  
  
  
“Waitin’ for Corvi to help me with my wrists.” He answered truthfully. “Gumlittle’s still helpin’ Lucki.”  
  
  
“Oh.”  Before Cubbi could say another word, the door opened and in walked the requested older squire. He looked a bit frazzled but gave a grin when he saw the guests, “Your family, Cubbi?”  
  
  
Beaming, Cubbi nodded, “Yep.” Whirling about, he eyed the eldest members of his clan, stating, “Grammi, Zummi, THIS is who is teachin’ me Old Gummi! Corvi’s really good at it.” He jumped lightly, still proud that he managed to use the phrases Corvi taught him right. He went to Corvi’s side to thank him personally as the teen wordlessly took in their abundance of guests.   
  
  
“Good?” Toni interrupted, “Corv’s fluent.”  
  
  
Oh, that got their attention. Especially from the elder gummies, they stared at Corvi with what could only be described as awe. Feeling a bit put on the spot, he nonetheless could feel Cubbi and Toni just beaming at him, proud to be associated with him and that was…kind of them. Taking a breath, he bowed lightly and took hold of Grammi’s hand, “<Well met, my lady.>” he added a small kiss to her hand, then did the same to Sunni, “<Cubbi speaks of you with great praise. You obviously have raised him well. I’m honored to train next to him. Meeting those that put such ambition into him is a privilege.>”  
  
  
A bit flowery with the language but he supposed that was what Cubbi wanted and he was rewarded with his efforts by a low, “See? See?”  
  
  
Corvi withdrew from the group, saying, in common now, “Sorry, I need to help Toni patch up his wrists. I’ll be glad to talk to you more later though.” He pulled some of the herbal pastes and bandages from the cabinets. That was one thing about having a bunch of boys around. You had first aid supplies in abundance. Sitting down at the table, he took the cub’s left wrist first, painting on the herbal paste as carefully as he could. The guests had found their seats by then and he did not miss Gruffi or Grammi’s horrified looks as they got a first-hand glance at the cub’s slashed wrists.  
  
  
“Great Galloping Gummies” Gruffi breathed, “What happened to you, kid?”  
  
  
Silence that seemed to permeate the entire kitchen. Corvi wrapped the first wrist tightly before starting on the second. Toni, never one to like beating around the bush, responded to the unaswered question, “That’s one reason we called you here. We need some answers so we don’t let something like this happened again.” The thought of his mother still put a sick feeling in his stomach but nothing was going to be gained by them tip toeing around the issue, “This was caused by Lady Bane and she wasn’t even here.”  
  
  
“Lady Bane?” Gusto and Zummi asked as one.  
  
  
“Yeah, and we’ve got a bigger problem than her, on top of her.” Cubbi frowned at his clan and seemed a bit angry for the first time, “You guys didn’t tell me ANYTHING about our past you know.”  
  
  
“Kid,” Gruffi interrupted, “Yer not making any sense. What about our past? What worse than Lady Bane, what in Gum happened here?”  
  
  
Their conversation was interrupted, perhaps thankfully, when a knight stuck his head in, stating, “We’re gathering in the council chambers, boys, guests.”  
  
  
Cubbi nodded, “Thanks Sir Jori.” The knight darted off and Cubbi eyed his clan again, “Guess we’re gonna finally just lay it all out.” He was NOT looking forward to this. So many bad memories, bad things that had been going on. So much danger, so many…sad things. “Gruffi, we’ll tell you in the Council Chamber. LONG story.” He stood by the door with that, clear indication that they needed to be headed out. He was NOT going to fail Sir Plucki in something as simple as getting people to a meeting on time. Even if it meant that his short lived time of good exchanges and happy experiences was about to grind to a halt.  
  
  
He frowned at the clouds he saw outside. Figured. All these dark things bringing dark weather. Tavi said that magic could do that too. Great.   
  
  
“Thanks Corv.” Toni tested his wrapped wrists as Corvi completed the last tie then jumped up, standing by Cubbi’s side, “Grab something to eat if you want though I think it’d be a bad idea.” He told their guests, “But be quick. Plucki said one hour, he means one hour. So if they say we’re gathering, we need to get there. Plucki can be cranky if he wants to be.”  
  
  
Grammi grasped Cubbi in an embrace when she crossed the kitchen to their side, feeling the heavy atmosphere and on impulse; she reached out and took Toni in one too. The cub stiffened, noticeably but did not pull away. Corvi watched all this stoically, not aware of Gruffi’s stout eye on him. He felt a strong urge of jealousy, followed by sadness and such a sudden surge of guilt that he felt sick. His head pounded, his stomach burned. He wanted to collapse under all the weight suddenly feeling in full consciousness on his shoulders. What was he going to do? If his brothers were playing…if they were asking questions…if…  
  
  
The rumbling outside seemed to fit. Was that the work of Lady Bane too? Was she influencing the weather with her dark magic? Or…Emi even? Had her ability to escape her prison allowed her that kind of power?   
  
  
And what of Lucki? If he was still with Gumlittle, then…was he truly okay? Or was he…  
  
  
Seeing Cubbi embraced so strongly, seeing this small group of gummies flow together as if they had always been as they marched towards the doors made his heart sink. Gum…Mama…Papa…I miss you! I need you!  
  
  
“Toni.” He called, “Tell Plucki I’ll be late but I’m coming.”  
  
  
Toni stared, “You? Late? To a meeting this big?” His eyes went huge.  
  
  
“I need some time.” He said simply and walked out the second exit. He didn’t stop to see if anyone called after him, didn’t stop to see how heavy with rain the clouds, didn’t stop as some of the knights called for him, inquiring what cub would venture out in this threatening weather. He just walked and that turned into a steady run. He pushed past the knights at the palace gates easily, though he did hear their calls, threatening to retrieve his mentor if he did not return at once. For once, he did not care.   
  
  
His heart hurt too much to care.  
  
  
He did not stop until he reached the solemn grounds a good ways from the palace, outside Gummadoon main. By now, the clouds had unleashed their load in a heavy, cold rain. Corvi walked a path he had walked many a time but not in a while, ignoring the wet mud that the rain was pouring all over the ground. Gummadoon’s burial grounds were always a quiet, earnest place. His long hair swung into his eyes but he ignored it, taking a left on the first path and to the large section dedicated to Gummadoon’s lost soldiers.  
  
  
He finally came to a stop in front of a familiar marker, one that was frequented by his mother…HAD been frequented.  
  
  
Sir Gustav Gummi…fallen in battle.  
  
  
Father.  
  
  
Falling to his knees, ignoring the horrible stains it would get all over his squire uniform, Corvi stared at the old marker, his heart hurting so badly he thought it would burst. Lady Ivori’s reminder had forced everything to the forefront. Papa was gone, Tori was gone and now, now he had failed them both and let Mama die. His brothers were hurting, obviously, and he had no way to make them stop. He did not know what to do. He felt like he had slipped off the edge of an abyss and was being swallowed up by the darkness.  
  
  
“Papa. I miss you.”   
  
  
Spoken aloud, he lowered his head as the rain thundered down on his head, drenching him from head to toe but he refused to move. “Papa, I miss you. I need you. I…dunno what to—do.” His cracking voice snapped at the last line and that pressure slammed down, renewed on his shoulders. There was his brothers, there was the issue of if Lucki was truly ‘okay,’ there was no longer Mama, no longer Papa, no longer Tori, there was Lady Bane, there was stupid Emi and now his body was going to be yanking him into adulthood even as he dug in his heels in protest.    
  
  
“Papa, what do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!”  
  
  
Silence.  
  
  
Well, not quite.   
  
  
One good thing about rain. It drenched his whole body, made him look like a drowned rat; he could have leapt into a lake completely and come out looking drier. The rain was relentless, even forming little mini rivers and looking very much like a solid curtain with the speed it came down.  
  
  
But with his entire face wet, no one could see tears.   
  
  
So he cried.


	32. Chapter 32

__**Gummadoon Healer's Ward**  
  
Sarrika settled in her desk chair for a nice calming cup of tea, hoping to chase away the stress of the day... week... month? Time. It was said to heal all wounds. But what if the wounds just kept coming? How much could one mentally endure? Of course, she knew how much the body could take but the mind... That was more in the realm of a spiritualist or mind healer. Not that such an occupation was common to gummies. No real need of one, though she'd heard rumor one had cropped up in New Gumbrea, to help with the relocation, the loss of a homeland, and such. Masei Gummi, if her memory was correct. It may even become necessary to contact him after all this blew over -- for advice, of course. Many of her fellow Gummadoonians would likely have need of his particular expertise, if indeed the rumors were true.  
  
She'd just taken a sip when Councilor Wooddale and Sir Gumlittle burst in. Naturally, she expected a visit; given that her nephew had inexplicably been risen from the grave; but to see the dead boy in question being pulled in by a frantic Tavi had the healer sputtering remnants of the drink back into her teacup.  
  
"Sarrika... Are you alright?" Wooddale asked, her tone full of concern as she approached.  
The healer nodded. She coughed still but did her best to recover quickly -- and not look at Lucki. It still sent chills down her spine. Not natural...  
  
"What *cough* what's wrong?"  
  
"I... eh..." She looked back at her nephew, then waved Tavi and Lucki both near. "Sir Gumlittle mentioned you already examined my nephew?"  
  
Sarrika threw a brief look the boy's way but even that made her shudder. And the look on his face -- the very clear hurt and anxiety etched all over his face... Immediate sympathy for the boy had her own features softening and she rose to a stand, steady enough to conduct herself in her usual business-like manner.  
  
"That is correct. Lucki appears perfectly... healthy." She'd just stopped herself from saying 'alive'. Obviously he was alive. They'd been over that.  
  
"But he's not!" Tavi interjected frantically. "I mean, he can't be! Look!"   
  
The girl thrust her brother's arm toward Healer Sarrika. The healer dutifully took a look and gasped at the sight of deep bruises in Lucki's arm -- bruises which looked so clear as to have been painted on! Despite her revulsion to the boy being brought back from the dead, she found herself touching the arm, turning it gently this way and that.  
  
"When did this happen?"  
  
"Just a few minutes ago." Wooddale replied.  
  
Tavi looked about to cry but bit her lip to cut back the reaction. "I... I didn't mean to, but I didn't grab him that hard either. I hugged him so much when I first saw him, I thought I couldn't hug anybody so hard but look!" Tavi peeled back her brother's shirt front to reveal his chest, free of any bruising.  
  
Sarrika frowned, deeply puzzled. "Lucki, come sit over here." She indicated her examination area.  
  
He started that way but as he turned, he accidentally bumped into the chair leg next to her desk.  
  
"Wait. Stop moving." she told the boy as she hurried over. Without asking permission, she lifted up the pantleg of his slacks to reveal the leg which had impacted with the chair.  
As they all watched, faint bruises began to form and grew darker by the second.   
  
"But... It doesn't really hurt. It didn't hurt at all, bumping the chair." Lucki admitted, though that did not lower the tension in the room.  
  
"Be that as it may, it looks like your flesh has become hypersensitive." She waved a hand over to the exam area once more. "I will do a more thorough look over you, try a few tests, and we'll see, alright?" She smiled to help lighten the mood.  
  
"Up you go, sport." Gumlittle said before ever gently picking the boy up and carrying him over to the examination area.  
  
For all her up-front optimism, it was purely for her patient and his family. She had little to go on before the examination and little further to proceed with after testing the boy's reflexes, eyesight, hearing, strength, touch, taste, and smell. Everything else was spookily normal. Everything but this new fragility of the body. And after, Sir Gumlittle related to her Lucki's episode of unawareness in the bath which only succeeded in mystifying the healer further.  
  
"For now, try not to move around very much. If you are prone to passing out, you'll injure yourself more. And if you bruise this easily, it is possible that your bones are more brittle than they were." Sarrika examined the hand he'd cut in order to prove he could bleed. Normal clotting and mending progression -- neither overly fast or delayed. "It looks like you do heal so that is good but we don't want you to break something so please limit your movement. In the meantime, I must consult with the council -- the full council." she corrected in apology to Councilor Wooddale. "With magic involved, there may be more we can do together than just by myself."  
  
"We've just heard of a meeting starting soon in the Council Chambers. Crobi came by as we walked here, delivering the message." Wooddale stated.  
  
Sarrika glanced at Sir Gumlittle for confirmation, knowing this did not bode well. With his nod, she knew that matters were not improving outside her office. Would the calmer days of teething infants and moderate chest colds never return? But ultimately she sighed and nodded. "My request of an audience may have to wait but I'll see what I can do in the meantime. There are scrolls and books in the older libraries which may grant more knowledge on the subject. I'll start there and bring the manuscripts back with me. In the meantime, please keep me informed of the results of the council meeting."  
  
Healer Sarrika started out but Tavi reached over and snagged her arm. "That's all yer gonna do??"  
  
"Tavi," her Aunt Toffi warned, dropping her Wooddale posturing in favor of roping the girl in with an arm of understanding around her shoulders. "Let her work."  
  
"I understand your stress," Sarrika said. "but I truly believe my best bet is to research. I... I am simply out of my league here. My expertise is healing, not magic or philosophy. It's possible that a soul separated for that long and then suddenly returned whole could cause some kind of biological link degradation."  
  
They looked earnestly on the healer but it became clear they were having a tough time following so she spoke to all of them.  
  
"What I mean is, it may be that being deceased and then returned has disrupted the natural link between body and soul. His body may be rejecting the soul it was born with. Or, I suppose, whatever Lady Bane did might have a time limit. You should consider the possibility that Lucki has a very limited time here with us. When whatever spell she used is done, it may also be the end for him. And on that, I have no aid to give you. This is a Council matter but last I checked you were as stumped as myself."  
  
Tavi looked aghast. "You mean my brother's gonna die; again?!"  
  
"We don't know that for sure. We don't know anything. Believe me, this is the best course to get more information. Please calm down. I won't be gone long."  
  
"Come, Tavi. We'll prepare for the council meeting." Wooddale tugged at her niece. "Lucki will be fine here."  
  
The young wizardess shrugged off her aunt. "Fine?? He's far from fine! And there's no way I am leaving him. Not now. He either comes to the meeting, too, or I stay right here with him." She crossed her arms over her chest and stood adamantly right next to her brother.

The three adults exchanged glances but in the end it was fruitless. Normally eager to attend such an exclusive meeting, she was even more passionate about keeping her brother from harm. It wasn't the best situation, given that Tavi had been so far integral in discovering much of what was going on under their very noses but perhaps this was for the best. If she were truly needed, Tavi would be summoned and Lucki brought in as well.

"Very well, niece. Gumlittle?" Councilor Wooddale enquired as she started to leave.  
  
"Yeah. Be right there." The knight turned apologetic eyes on the brother and sister. "Tavi, I know how you feel. You sit tight and watch him in my stead, because I sure as Gum don't want to leave you either, but there are times when a knight must do what they don't want to for the good of the city. And if there's any change in his health, you tear into that councilroom and tell us right away, got it?" He pinned Tavi with a stare.  
  
"You betcha." She gave a sharp nod.  
  
Both cubs watched the three adults depart, Sarrika mentioning yet again that she would return soon. Even with the tense atmosphere and the piling list of unknowns on both their young shoulders, Lucki looked on his sister and smiled, then tossled her hair.  
  
"Hey, what was that for?" She reached up to bat at his hand but froze, afraid to hurt him.  
  
Not catching on to her caution, Lucki smirked. "Missed you, sis."  
  
That uncontrollable urge to latch onto him welled up once more and she had to stop herself yet again just seconds from giving him a crushing hug.  
  
This time, Lucki noticed. He sagged visibly.   
  
Tavi studied his face, saw worry and anger and fear dance around it in a spiralling parade. She couldn't touch him to comfort him but, "Hey, it'll be okay. I promise, alright? I can do magic now and between me and Sarrika and the council, we've got this. I won't lose you again, big brother. I won't." When she spoke, she found her hands squeezed tight in a display of outward conviction, throttling the light blanket on the exam bench where her brother sat. She let it go and took a step back, put her hands behind her. "So, don't worry, 'kay? Um... D'you wanna talk? About anything ya like. You name it and we'll talk about it. We can talk about how I can do magic now -- some anyway; so far. Still learning. We can talk about my good friend, Cubbi, who's from Gummi Glen of all places! Or, if you wanted, we could talk about after you... um... Nevermind. I'm too glad to have you back to bug you for details. Just... Never do that to me again, you hear? I can't have you dying on me again!" Tears formed in her eyes and in seconds, the gummi girl was bawling.  
  
 _I can't move around and I have to be careful what I touch? To heck with that!_ Lucki slipped off the bed and took his little sister in a comforting embrace. Whatever Lady Bane was doing, it didn't involve stopping him so he took full advantage of it and, finally, finally, felt that connection, that unfaltering love and devotion he'd so desperately desired. His sister was here and vowing to protect him of all things -- the same vow he'd made her the day he... he...  
  
His own tears came unhindered and the green-furred cub relished the expression, the freedom to let himself react without being stuffed in a mental hole by that witch. Whatever she was doing, for one moment, he didn't care. For now, he had this and he wasn't gonna let it go without a fight.

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Corridors_**  
  
Sir Blastus had tried valiantly to keep up with Ecri but the charging knight was both too quick and had ducked down various passages and halls with skill. This led the senior knight to believe Ecri had come here many times and likely knew the place inside and out. That, and he most likely wanted to be alone. Such was the case with him lately, since his brother...   
  
As he huffed and puffed to get his breath back, he wondered if it was wrong to give the lad so much space. Was it time to confront him, try to bring him back into the fold? He was most certainly out and being alone in times of grief... Sometimes it helped, and other times it led one down a lone path. He didn't want Ecri to be forced onto that path, to feel that was the only way, and yet he did not want to be told to his face again in a quiet voice that he had no idea what it felt like to lose a brother let alone a twin. Before today, those were the last words Ecri spoke to him, right after Sir Blastus had offered a few consoling words the day Yaci died.  
  
For now, he let the lad have his space. With Councilor Wooddale and Tavi now with Lucki, he'd best not make himself so hard to find.  
  
Sir Blastus started back to the main hallways, ready to rejoin his knight-brothers and make sure he was free if they'd need of him.

* * *

  
 ** _Library of Magihistorian Texts_**  
  
Sir Ecri hadn't exactly wanted to leave Sir Blastus in the dust but he simply could not wait. There was a text he'd read not long ago which mentioned instances of raising the dead and he absolutely had to get to it right away. After setting eyes on Lucki...  
No, he could not assume it was purely evil. That... He could not call it a thing. It looked and behaved like Lucki, even at a passing glance. And he had to believe that Sir Gumlittle and Councilor Wooddale would have done everything in their power to confirm that it truly was Lucki. An imposter or construct would have been dealt with or clad in irons by now. No, this was something even more foul.  
  
Truthfully, he had began exploring the old libraries to get his mind off his brother, and to help plot some revenge against Lady Bane for slaughtering Yaci. No, he'd no gift in magic, and no true heart for hot vengeance, but if he could find a chink in the witch's armor, something past all her mind games and dark arts, he felt certain it'd be in the magihistorian's oldest library. Only the truly in-depth works were kept down here. He should know, having been through many of them. Some of the text was over his head but he read it anyway. Others, he'd latched onto with avid fascination -- details of the interplay of the natural world and gummi spirits, expansive theories on Gum and her plans, and every encounter with any witch, wizard, or warlock ever recorded by gummi-kind.  
  
When he'd run across the notes on a sorceress who'd practiced the evil magic of resurrection, his thoughts had naturally turned to his brother. He'd pondered the idea of perhaps seeking that avenue but he knew that if it truly could be done, gummies would have mastered it by now. Given Magihistorian Mothri's treatis on creation and the link between gummies and the natural world, such an unnatural act was a violation of Gum in most cases and any attempts were not only frowned down upon but thwarted without exception. The recounting of the evil sorceress and the treatis of Mothri were not related in any way at first glance but after all the reading he'd done, Sir Ecri could easily compare the two and reach his own conclusion. Resurrection simply wasn't possible. If it ever were attempted, it ended in pain, misery, perpetual death, and worse. That was something he dare never tempt, for the sake of his brother's soul.  
  
So, armed with such book knowledge, anyone in the know could see why Ecri tore off to relocate the texts about the evil sorceress and her attempts at resurrection -- to get at the heart of the matter of Lucki Gummi's obvious resurrection.  
  
The old magihistorian's library was the most ancient of libraries and was so poorly kept, he'd found rats down here his first visit. That had been his first task, as well as his initial duty each and every time returning. Every time until today.   
  
Ecri ran to the back, skidded to a halt, then turned right and raced for the third shelf toward the end. He stopped suddenly again after four steps. There, on the fifth tier, it sat. His hands gingerly selected a book less dusty than its brethren, bound with a red and black cover. He flipped carefully through the pages, their brittle edges crackling under his touch.  
  
He knew this was the book but he had no idea which page so he started at the middle. When he found nothing, he started from the beginning. Sir Ecri was so caught up in his search, he did not hear someone else enter the library. She, however, heard him riffling through the manuscript.  
  
Sarrika had ventured down into the bowels of the lesser-known magihistorian library seeking any of the older healer journals and treatis she'd not studied in years, if at all. She hadn't been down here since studying under Healer Deffri, oh so many decades ago. But upon hearing that she was not alone in the library, her curiosity got the better of her and she sought the source of the rustling. To her great surprise, she found nearly at the back of the library, Sir Ecri, a look of intense concentration on his face as he poured over the manuscript.  
  
Well aware that this particular knight had been through hardships which had seemingly locked up his heart, she wanted to proceed with caution. Still, if he were here, he'd likely been here before and may be able to help her find the what she was after so she could return more swiftly to Lucki. He hadn't noted her arrival so she cleared her throat to get his attention  
  
The sound startled him to the point of nearly dropping the text. As he fumbled with it, she clasped her hands, her head bowed.  
  
"Apologies, Sir Ecri. I didn't mean to disturb you."  
  
He glanced at her briefly with a combination of annoyance and embarrassment but said nothing. He closed the book he'd been reading and held it close, as if to fend off any advances to claim it.  
  
She ignored that and said, "I've come to look up some healer journals I recall seeing many years ago. If you visit here often, would you be able to help?"  
  
In the silence wherein he appeared to debate what to say, Sarrika took a better look at the book he carried. She read the title: **Dark Magic and the Dangers Therein**. The healer looked into the knight's eyes and knew he'd seen the exact same thing as she. So she told him, "I'm also here because of Lucki Gummi."  
  
This announcement instantly relaxed the knight. He stood straighter, at the ready.  "If you're familiar with this library, I'm looking for anything which might help. I'll take the whole manuscripts back up to my office to study them. Lucki's there now. Do you--?"  
  
"This way." was all he said before moving more to the center of the shelf rows, heading purposefully for the end closer to the entrance. He looked at her and pointed out a series of light blue-bound books. "Healer Shrei's works."  
  
"Are you certain? I--"  
  
"They're referenced in here." Sir Ecri held up the book he carried.  
  
"Oh." Sarrika looked on the volumes before her -- ten in all -- then back to Sir Ecri. At her gentlest, she said, "You're quite knowledgeable of the library's texts. Would you come with me to help with the matter of Lucki. There've been some... recent developments in his condition and an extra pair of eyes would help speed up the process of elimination. I do feel that speed, in particular, is of the essence in his case and perhaps I can help in your search. If they're related as I suspect, then I believe we will meet in the middle at any rate. Please help me?"  
  
The look on his face. He was torn, the poor gummi. She knew she may be asking too much of this broken knight but desperate times called for everyone to pull as they have never pulled before. She had to ask, and even if he didn't, it was worth--  
  
"Alright."  
  
Breathing out a sigh of relief at his consent, Sarrika stepped forward  and held out her arms to receive the bulk of the light blue books. "Then, good Sir, load me up."

* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon's Main Council Chambers_**  
  
When the Glen Gummies arrived at the doors to the main council chambers, they could all see the five main councilors of Gummadoon were present inside as well as their subordinates and a great many knights of every tier. One of them stopped them right at the doors actually.  
  
With a harrowed expression he was trying to hide, the young amber-furred knight stood in their path and said, "It might be best if you younger ones joined Lady Ivori and Sir Gori in the kitchen for refreshments. I hear they're making a fresh batch of gummiberry pies and Sir Gori's tales are not to be missed."  
  
As Zummi, Gruffi, and Grammi exchanged glances at this advice, and wondering what dire news awaited them, Gusto spoke up first.  
  
"First of all, I'm youthful but not a 'younger one', Sir Knight. And second,... well... Okay, ya got me. There's no second." He shrugged and walked past the knight.  
  
"Hey, Gusto, not before me!" Cubbi called, ducking under the knight's arms to race after the artist.  
  
Grammi turned to Sunni and Tummi as Zummi and Gruffi followed the pink cub. "Well... You're both old enough to decide whether ya wanna stay or go." And she waited to see what they'd say.  
  
Surprising Sunni and Grammi, Tummi spoke up first. "Oh, you know I hate to turn down food, Grammi, but, in the words of Gruffi, 'Nothin' doin.'. With Cubbi involved in all this, this is a family matter. If he and Sir Plucki think we Glen Gummies can help out, I'll listen. Pretty sure with so many people in here, they can't eat all the pies before we're done anyway, right?" The rotund blue gummi smiled and walked past the knight at the door.  
  
Sharing an astounded blink, Sunni recovered first. "Well, I'm not gonna be left in the kitchen with a bunch of cubs and an old knight's stories. Tummi's right, and besides... Grammi, you know what I've been doing. What would it look like if I couldn't stand to hear news on my own homefront?"  And here she leaned in to whisper to Grammi, "That's not the Barbic Way." before striding in with all the confidence in the world.  
  
With a chuckle and a pat on the knight's shoulder for his efforts, Grammi followed suit into the council chambers.  
  
A lot of chairs had been brought in. Sir Plucki was asking everyone to take a seat, the five councilors already seated at their raised stations. And the door was asked to be closed.  
  
Sir Gumlittle looked about for a frantic moment before asking, "Where's Toni? Did anybody see him?"  
  
Cubbi spoke up. "In the kitchen, waitin' for you. Hey, where's Tavi? She needs to be here, too. And Corvi. Where'd he--"  
  
Councilor Wooddale held up a hand for silence as more voices rose. "We cannot wait any longer. They will be admitted as they arrive. For the remainder of the populace, they must wait until this council concludes. Sir Horli, please close the chambers."  
  
The amber-furred knight at the door did as he was bid.  
  
Wooddale stood. "Fellow gummies of Glen and hall, we have called this meeting to discuss very grave matters. As such, we ask that it be kept within this room and not to venture out amongst the full populace as of yet. There are rumors, true, but only those here will know the full truth." She took a slow breath, let it out. "Each of you has been invited here because you can aid in these troubling times, or you can help guard against them."  
  
Gruffi glanced down at Cubbi, seated right next to him. Always on the lookout for trouble, he knew forethought prevented a lot of danger and injury. What had Cubbi gotten himself into?  
  
"Let me state first that Sir Blastus is perfectly well and the spell to bring out his youth during the bout of Cub's Fever worked wonders. He--"  
  
Sir Horli, at the door, opened it. Sir Blastus entered with a quick stride and joined his brothers in arms. They discussed something quietly amongst themselves as Councilor Wooddale resumed.  
  
"As you can see, he is perfectly fine. Also, the rumors of Karleni Gummi's possession are true as well. Other signs of influence have also been noted." She cleared her throat awkwardly amid gasps from those gathered but then carried on with stalwart purpose. "We are dealing with them as we find them. And... On the rumors of the possibility of Emi Gummi having weakened or even broken free from her prison... Those rumors, terrifying as they are, appear to also be true."  
  
At this announcement, much murmuring rose up. All Sunni could think of was that she'd never heard of an Emi Gummi, let alone ANY gummi who needed to be imprisoned. Just what the heck was going on??  
  
Cubbi, all the while, kept his eyes on Gruffi, Zummi, and Grammi. At the mention of Emi, all three reacted but in different ways. Grammi and Gruffi seemed to shrink inward, as if the very mention of the name was forbidden, something to be kept inside one's head only, if even there. Zummi... He looked worried. Well, he always looked worried but Cubbi'd never seen him turn pale before and that's what happened.  
  
"What we know," Wooddale began again, emphasizing the last word to rise above the loud murmurs. "is that Emi's influence has been detected within these very walls. My niece, who has become more sensitive and attuned to gummi magic since absorbing the gummi medallions, took note of it first but we have seen signs as well. The problem, dear gummies, is that, despite all we know, the horrors which Emi committed forced us to bury her away so deeply that we don't even know where she is, or what her prison is constructed of. We must determine this in order to locate it, reestablish that she still needs incarceration, and repair the prison so that she cannot escape if indeed she still needs to remain within it."  
  
"What kinda influence have you detected? You think she's cured?" an older knight asked.  
  
"Eh..." Wooddale searched the faces of her fellows.  
  
Berrybottom stood. "No, Sir Jori, we do not. Hence our extreme caution. As for influence..." He began looking about the room. Not seeing whom he sought, he turned to Wooddale. "Eh? Where is your niece? Where is Tavi?"  
  
Gumlittle rose quickly. "She's with... er... I mean she's helping Healer Sarrika at present, Councilor Berrybottom."  
  
Councilor Wooddale nodded a great thank-you to the large knight. "She will come if and when she can. She knows how important this meeting is, as she is the one who first felt the stirrings of Emi."  
  
Sunni couldn't take it anymore. She leaned over to Grammi and whispered, "D'you know who they're talking about? Who's this Emi?"  
  
"Oh..." Grammi's hands wrung her apron taught. "Sunni, that's a dark chapter. Only gummi ever to turn psycho and kill people. All kinds of people, and lots of them."  
  
Sunni couldn't help her gasp. No, it couldn't be true!  A gummi? Kill people??  
  
"My niece claims to have verified her beliefs that Emi is breaking free by having contacted Destini herself."  
  
The entire room stirred with murmurs and gasps. Sunni heard several gummies mention that Destini was dead and that meant Tavi contacted a ghost!  
  
"This was confirmed recently. Make no mistake, fellow gummies," Wooddale continued. "We have proof of this. And, to compound matters, it seems Lady Bane has been at the root of Karleni's possession. This is news may seem doubly terrible but it is also a boon, for it seems Lady Bane is the only one possessing individuals and not Emi. To our knowledge they may not be working together. Emi was never seen nor associated with working with anyone, however, there is that possibility that the evil sorceress has been convinced to aid in Emi's escape. The witch has always been drawn to gummi magic and we would not put it past her to release our greatest tragedy in order to get at all of us."  
  
"And what of the other rumor?" another knight shouted in the break. "What of Lucki?"  
  
Wooddale opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Tears threatened to take her.   
  
Berrybottom lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, bid her to sit. When she did, grateful, he responded. "They are indeed true. Lucki Gummi claims that Lady Bane resurrected his body and that he escaped her. He says he does not know her plan; only that it involved bringing him back from the dead. We have done all of the tests. He is not a walking corpse, or a construct, nor is he possessed as far as we can determine. It truly is Lucki Gummi. Now, now listen," he spoke louder to quell the rising swell of protests and startled comments. "The boy is just as scared as we are. He sounds and acts just like the Lucki who ran up and down these halls. I'm completely convinced that it is indeed him, but we are being cautious and I might add so is he." Berrybottom cleared his throat. "Now, the other piece of evidence which has been of the greatest help was found by Tavi, Squires Cubbi and Corvi. Sir Plucki?" Berrybottom waved the knight-captain forward.  
  
Sir Plucki stood and came to stand before all gathered. He held in his hands a rectangle bound in cloth which instantly had Zummi interested. He could sense the magic coming from the object, which he knew instantly was a book of some kind. Likewise, his medallion was responding. It took on a dim glow, heat emanating from the metal against his tunic-front.  
Sir Plucki cleared his throat. "This book in my hand may hold the answers we seek. We're currently investigating the matter but it's been tricky. It, er, doesn't respond well to adults. And, because of the three who found this book only Cubbi is here, why don't you come up here and show them what it can do?" Despite it all, Plucki passed his squire a smile.  
  
Eagerly, Cubbi jumped up and ran to his mentor. "You bet!" He held out his hands for and received the book. Carefully unwrapping it from the cloth Plucki had it bound in to keep it safe, Cubbi started in. "Now, this book isn't just any ol' book. It's..."  
  
The pink-furred squire paused, for Zummi had risen from his seat at the sight of the bound manuscript.   
  
"By the Ancient Gummies..." the old wizard breathed. "Cubbi, that's... that's the fabled Mook of Berlinni... er, I mean Book of Merlinni!" He came forward to inspect it but paused when he found the entire room staring at him.  
  
"Zummi?" Cubbi began, his mouth quirked in a manner suggesting things had been hidden from him and it was time for answers. "Anything ya wanna tell us?"  
  
"Oh, er..." He glanced again around the room, at all the intimidating attention. "Well, Cubbi... I... er..."  
  
"You should know, Zummi, the book can talk. It told us Emi's imprisoned somewhere in Gummi Glen. What we need to know is where, and what kinda prison. The book says it doesn't know. Only somebody named Lumina Gummi and the old council of magihistorians knew but they're all dead. So if there's somethin' you'd like to add...?"  
  
Zummi threw a desperate glance at Grammi. She looked as frightened as he but she stood. Stood and walked over to stand right beside him.   
  
"Zummi..." Grammi took his hand, gave it a squeeze, tried to give him the strength to speak what they knew.  
  
He nodded with a heavy head before addressing all gathered. "You... you must know that this information was kept out of necessity. The elders were even more afraid of Emi than you are now. And, well, we don't know much, but there were stories... rumors only... of her prison's location. We were never, never to go down there. The elders said if we did, everything that we ever knew or loved would be destroyed. So... you can see how this isn't easy to talk about, living with that ferrible tear... er, terrible fear."  
  
Sir Plucki walked over to Zummi and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Anything at all would be of help. Together we can get through this."  
  
Zummi smiled, bolstered by the knight-captain's confidence, by young Cubbi's shining face. They weren't blaming him for keeping quiet all these years. They were also here to help keep the evil forces at bay. Nothing to worry about in retelling, right? "Well... We'd heard a few stories, having not actually lived through it ourselves. Grammi and I -- as you know, Cubbi -- were always getting into mischief as cubs. We didn't believe the stories about... her. Not at first. We thought they were just to keep us in bed at night. We figured, if we couldn't talk about her, we'd go see for ourselves if we could find her." Zummi's head drooped. "We searched all the lower levels of the Glen, and we found the one area off-limits. We squeezed through the barriers, opened the darred boor... er, barred door, and couldn't go any further. The room was ice cold and we were surrounded by the very presence of death and horror, like the room itself screamed at us to leave in a thousand voices!" He shook his head. "Sometimes... I think I can still hear those deathly cold screams."  
  
Grammi tightened her grip on Zummi's hand. She bravely spoke up in his stead. "We tore outta there faster than you can say spatula. No need to guess we never went back in. And... while I'd like to say we never went down there again, that's not true. We did, with a few small bits of cloth bound by twine, filled with black powder. And we took the twine and rolled it out a bit, set the black powder by the door, lit it, and ran. The elders thought the explosion was just another rock slide in the lower caverns. We never told them any different." Grammi's haunted eyes turned imploringly to Cubbi. "We never thought it'd do harm, Cubbi dear. We just wanted to keep anyone else out of that horrible room. So, yes, we know where Emi's prison is kept but, well, it's impossible to get to."


	33. Chapter 33

_**MetaPhysical Plane**  
  
_ Sorting through the metaphysical plane was always a chore. For one thing, there was much more that transpired on the outskirts of reality than most people were aware of. While Lady Bane kept herself mostly confined to the blasted gummi body she inhabited, it was also a deep pit of emotions, thoughts, memories. Quite frankly, it was revolting to sort through these things but she felt the desire as well as the need to do so. She was not one to accept defeat easily and that boy’s blasted body giving into injury, simple injury, so easily was the sign of something else afoot.  
  
Well, she meant to locate the source of it, right now!  
  
She would not say she had a “form” here because she was purely in control of the body but she did feel like she had a presence, something that moved, something that had to seek out things further away than nearer. A bit like swimming through a murky ocean in that sense. Each move she made was met with a flood of either emotions, memories or both. Thus far, it had forced her to sort through the brat’s ‘dearer’ memories, namely his lost parents. It was quite easy to see the resemblance between his little sister and that old fossil of a council member as they resembled his mother quite a bit, save the color. The bratty green furred boy she currently controlled did not seem to resemble his father very much either. As she pushed through older memories, she saw his likeness in his grandfather, though only briefly. The older gummi had been quite old, even by gummi standards, when his son Glenfield was born but she could still see, through the dark of the blue wrinkles that Lucki remembered the bear with that he possessed that same build that made this scrawny lad so agile.    
  
She could not put her finger on it but the gummi she found in these memories, though faded with time and the lad’s age when the grandfather had passed onto the afterlife, was familiar, or rather he possessed a familiar aura. There was a faintness of power to him that she could recognize anywhere. Being a creature who longed for power and status, she recognized the potential of magic when she saw it, even if it was through old memories of a little cub who seemed only to want to hear “Story, story!” In fact, she had to admit that the power she was sensing, was in fact, watered-down. Perhaps by several generations of non-use. It was quite the feat and frustrating as all get-out. Is THIS why the lad’s body responded to her so? Some kind of magic rejection?  
  
No, no, magic could be a natural inclination but it had to be taught. THAT much she knew.  
  
Right?  
  
She had to admit that every fiber of the gummi’s body resonated with natural magic. It was like it saturated every cell. She had heard stories, when she was younger and would overhear her mother talking amid other sorcerers (the few that cared for the company of such a person) that gummies had more natural magic in their bodies than any other creature. It was part of what fueled their long lives, part of what made them so intone with the earth and one another and what allowed them to harness the natural magic they did so flawlessly.  
  
Mother had been investigating that theory when she had vanished, shortly after working with Emi Gummi. Hardly missed in any event but—  
  
 _Wait!_  
  
Lady Bane would have narrowed her eyes if she had possessed command of them at the moment. She was reluctant to give the brat any command but she needed so much of her attention here. However, as she came across the memory of Mother vanishing, amid her work with Emi Gummi, she felt ice cold run through her veins.   
  
Her mother was quite powerful, thousands more power than she was, though she was loathe to admit such a thing. Yet, even her mother had been cautious around Emi. Truthfully, she was sure she was trying to find a way to trick the gummi sorceress but it seemed that, in the end, Emi had overpowered her mother and that…that scared her. Her mother, like her, had unnaturally prolonged her life, acquiring magical artifact after talisman, after life force, and making them a part of herself. Though Lady Bane was limited in her knowledge of her mother prior to her birth, she did know that she had given Zorlock many things in exchange for his magical knowledge, including wine, riches and sex. (Truth be told, she knew it was a possibility that Zorlock had been her father though she never pondered such a thing long; he was dead and had been a fool, that was all she needed to know.) She also knew that her mother had dabbled in relations with Fey, the magically inclined creatures that were prone to causing mischief among mortals but had more raw power at birth than most acquired in their whole lives. If her deceased elder brother was to be believed (and honestly, he was the only male she could ever say she had cared for on any level) then Mother had even absorbed the raw ability of a Fey throughout her long life.  
  
Yet, it seemed Emi Gummi had possessed not only enough power to kill the blasted witch but to not drain herself considerably in the process. By all the spirits, was gummi blood capable of such incredible feats?  
  
Focusing again, she forced herself to address a deep seated fear.  
  
Was it possible, even from within her prison, and a truly well-constructed one at that, that Emi was reaching out to this body she had claimed? She loathed to be met with that fact but she had to see. As it was, she and the boy’s soul were at constant odds with one another but like water and oil, she always remained on top, at least thus far. She could FEEL the body’s spirit trying to leak back into the pores. Despite her best efforts, it was like trying to push back water with one’s bare hands, some always slipped through.  
  
As she focused though, her entire being focused on the metaphysical plane about her, she felt something else. A new presence.   
  
The best was to describe it was as if a paper-thin, no—even thinner, was stretched around the entire cub’s body. It kept her from claiming complete command and it kept the boy’s soul drifting in and out. The body knew something was wrong, she suddenly felt it. It was stretching for that soul, trying to find it and claim it but without success. In response, the body was breaking down. Were gummi bodies so reliant on their souls? Was that their secret? Was that secret to all that power they possessed?  
  
All at once, she felt the alien presence in full force and it made her mentally scream. An icy coldness that clasped her about the throat, a hissing voice that sneered, “ _Truly, do you think you are ANY match for me?”_  
  
 _“Emi…”_ She managed in response, _“You are imprisoned…”_  
  
 _“Possessing a cub’s body, even with my prison is, to be frank, child’s play. As for my current incarceration, it will not be for much longer. Oh no, not long now at all.”_

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Healer’s Quarters_**  
  
The works of Healer Shrei were not small. It was no wonder. The healer had lived a long life and had served gummikind until their very last breath. According to what little reports had survived that long regarding the life of healer herself, Healer Shrei had delivered a child just hours before her own death. The female gummi had been a beautiful soul, one that truly threw everything they had into their craft. She had lived long ago, hence the age of these manuals but thank goodness for Gummi preservation techniques. They had learned so much from her trials and errors.  
  
She had lived during the period of time when gummi and humans lived, for the most part, in harmony. It was hard to imagine and remember a time before the anxiety and tensions. As Sarrika looked over the old volumes, Sir Ecri poured through some of them himself. There was a silent determination within the room, a sense that could nearly be felt. They both had similar goals, in fact, now she was certain they had the same goal. Lucki Gummi’s resurrection was not natural and as such would surely not be without its cost. As it was, Sarrika saw such a degradation of the flesh that it frightened her. For as much as the sight of him unnerved her, she had to admit that if it were truly Lucki, the cub that she had helped to deliver during her apprenticeship, then she must not stop until answers were found.  
  
Ah! She may have come across something. Sir Ecri had stated that Healer Shrei was mentioned in the research on dark magic and lo and behold! He was right. Here it was, a dark period of history to be sure. Several sorcerers, while with good intentions, had resurrected several of those lost during a raid on one of the villages, at least three human and two gummi. The results were disastrous. The risen dead, true enough, had breathed and their hearts had pumped but that was where the joy ceased. The human bodies had turned back to the dust from whence they came within days. The gummi bodies, according to this, had lasted a bit longer.  
  
Turning a page, Sarrika groaned out loud.   
  
Sir Ecri glanced up, “Healer?” he inquired.  
  
“You were correct, good Sir.” She reassured him, “But I forgot that Shrei’s notes would be in Old Gummi. I must admit, that is part of my schooling that I neglected.”  
  
Ecri stepped closer, “Let me see.” He took a seat beside her. She blinked, surprised, at the knight,  
  
“You know Old Gummi?” she inquired.  
  
“It’s a requirement during squire training though I must admit, I am hardly fluent.” He told her simply. “Most squires, including all the knights right now, seem to forget it once they reach knighthood. It’s never used and it was primarily used as a history teaching tool.”   
  
Sarrika nodded solemnly, “It is a shame we have let such a thing fall away.”  
  
“Not all gummies have.” Ecri reminded her, “Lady Cressi, if she were here instead of aiding in Ursalia, would have laughed at all our struggle. I suspect even Corvi would have.” He gave her a look, “If you’ve ever the time, listen to that boy translate it. It’s as natural as the common tongue to him.” He frowned, looking over the words, “I cannot speak Old Gummi to save my life, nor can I translate from spoken language. But written…written I can do.” Here, he eyed her, stating, “Though not as quickly as I once could, I must admit.”   
  
He frowned and it took a moment for him to process the words but then he began to speak, **“Alas, what more can I do?! The body refuses to respond to me! The natural immunity we gummies carry has been sliced in half of what it once was! The poor gummi bleeds at the slightest touch, bruises at mere wisps of air!”** Sarrika bit her lip; that sounded far too eerie and far too much like the young green furred lad in her office, waiting for answers. **“My supplements boost the body’s defenses but the body itself is dying again! I have called in Spiritualist Nivi, perhaps she shall have a better insight. In the meantime, I provide what comfort I can offer.”**  
  
The knight was not blind to the healer’s anxiety, “Healer?” he inquired again.

“It sounds so similar, too similar.” She shook her head, “The bruises I have seen on that child…not natural. Nothing bruises like that.”  
  
If Ecri had an emotional reaction, he was well schooled in keeping it hidden. He directed his attention back to the manual. Honestly, reading this was unnerving him to the core. He had read much about resurrection in the research on the dark arts. Even when used for “good” so to speak, the results were the same. It was playing the role of a Creator, something that even the wisest of souls knew better than to meddle in. The very balance of nature had means to keep such things from being done. There was a reason that even the most studied of magicians typically utilized possession or mindless zombie-walkers in the stead of a true resurrection.   
  
What he had read, combined with the actual accounts of one who had seen it, made a sharp pain settle in his belly. For not the first time and in fact more recently, he wished for a hand on his shoulder, for that laugh at his side from his wise-cracking brother and Blastus’ gentle French comforting his heart. Was he so wrong to isolate them? Surely this was useful?  
  
“Sir Ecri?” Sarrika interrupted his thoughts and he shook himself out of his self-pitying spell.  
  
Ecri read on, the next entry, **“Spiritualist Nivi has nothing but painful news, I fear. The body and soul have been separated in death as is the natural course. They have been thrust back together and the shock is too much! As a body rejects warmth if thrown from ice into heat and as the stomach rejects food if denied it for too long and given too much in response, the body is rejecting the spirit it once knew! The body must have the soul and yet the soul cannot rejoin its flesh! The shock is too much! The poor gummi’s flesh decays, breaks into bleeding and pain. Nivi says that the connection is incomplete. In some places, the two have rejoined, others they are separated by a chasm! It is as a machine with broken pegs and cogs! It does not work!”**  
  
Silence in the room and Ecri swallowed hard. He cared for Lucki, he did. He remembered when the boy became a page when he had been a squire, an older squire but a squire nonetheless. They had not had much interaction, given that Lucki was Gumlittle’s trainee but they had interacted some. The boy was smart, sweet and had a strong will and heart. When he had started to delve into this research, he had done so initially out of fear and revulsion, much like the emotions he was picking up from Sarrika. Yet, the more he read, he dared to hope, not just for his young friend but for his brother. If it was possible…he shook his head. Not only was it sounding like such a thing was fruitless but frighteningly dangerous, on the spiritual level. It was one thing to have the body threatened. But, the soul, the eternal presence of one’s strengths and that which waited patiently for their loved ones in Gum’s presence…  
  
The last entry, **“Oh, my soul weeps for my lost brother! Truly, lost beyond claim! The body fell away, piece by piece but then…oh Gum, then, the soul, for a mere moment appeared for an eye’s blink, fading, shaking, then, as it pleaded silently for aid, ceased to be. It shattered, as glass shatters upon a stone ground. Gone and beyond reach. Nivi, bless her own soul, sought and searched for days, tears blurring her vision. She searched, she prayed, she pleaded but she must come to the same conclusion that I must. The soul is destroyed. The soul is gone. No salvation, no punishment, nothing. We shall never, throughout all eternity, see our dear brother again. I dread and cry for the gummi in the next room. The bond could not be reclaimed. If I am to save her soul, I must find a way to relink the body and soul. Dear Gum, what do I do…”**  
  
The dreaded answer. Sarrika put her hands to her mouth, trying to stop her sobs. As revolted as she had been by the prospect, dear Gum, for the very soul itself to die. The soul of that sweet, innocent boy…  
  
Ecri reached out, grasped her shoulders, “Sarrika! Now is not the time for tears. Now is the time for action.”  
  
Hope, though faint, sprung up in her heart, “Sir Ecri, do you believe there is a way…”  
  
“I’m not expert on magic,” he admitted, “Never have been, wasn’t my forte. I do however, know history. In Healer Shrei’s time, it was simply a distant dream but no longer. When I was still a squire, there was rumor of the creation of an a talisman designed to break and link bonds. For safety, for unity, for protection. You know what I’m talking about?”

Oh, she knew, it was a popular story, “You’re talking about Concordia?”  
  
A strong nod, “I don’t know if it was ever used. Rumor said it was used to link all that negative energy to the Gummadoon staff.” He frowned, in utter frustration. Destini had been knee deep in most of this but it appeared she had died before passing much of her information on. Dear Gum, hindsight truly was depressing.  
  
Sarrika froze, “The Gummadoon Staff…” she eyed Ecri, “Sir Ecri, have you found any information on that?”   
  
He nodded, “yes, why?” he indicated the book he held in his lap, “It was our only cursed artifact, of course.”  
  
“Think. We started seeing evidence of Emi’s presence, what, a month ago?”  
  
Oh now his eyes went huge, “Emi? I thought Lady Bane was our key threat.” Granted, he had been isolated from the others but dear Gum how had he missed something this significant? Had he really become so distant? The thought that something so dangerous had slipped by his sight, that he had LET something so important slip by unnoticed made him weak in the knees. Stupid errors, stupid mistakes. Dear Gum, he could almost repeat Blastus’ lecture about being vigilant in his sleep and yet, in his self-proclaimed seclusion, he had let an enemy slip by.  
  
“My, you have become separate from the main goings-ons, haven’t you?” Sarrika remarked though it was without poison. Ecri made no reply so she amended her statement “Apologies good knight, I meant no…”  
  
“No, no you were right.” He admitted to her, his ears dropped somewhat, “I have become slack. You say that her presence was first suspected a month ago?” The healer nodded, and Ecri frowned, deeply. Dear Gum, he remembered the battles with her. Such losses, such sadness…  
  
“How long does it take magic to decay if it is not reinforced?” Sarrika truly hoped she was not grasping at straws and she hoped to bring the knight back from his self-loathing. They had no time for it and he had no cause to engage in it. How was he to know? Most of Gummadoon still did not know. Better it stayed that way.  
  
Frowning, Ecri stated, “Like I told you, magic was not my forte. My brother….could have told you more.” He closed his eyes a moment, thinking, “But, a few months I believe, depending on how strong it was. It’s like anything, if it isn’t reinforced, it fades and eventually dies.”  
  
“ **WHAT** was destroyed in that last war?” she demanded, shaking his shoulders, nearly bursting with her excitement. Dear Gum, they may have finally gotten a clue!   
  
Pain surfaced in the knight’s eyes and she regretted her words but no time for that now. If he saw what she saw…  
  
“…the Gummadoon staff.”  
  
Realization sank in quickly. “The Gummadoon Staff.” Sarrika repeated, “It was destroyed then, not even a few months following, her presence begins to be detected. Is it possible the staff was linked to her prison?” She knew that Sir Ecri was hardly well informed; in fact, she was probably more well informed than she was but he was more likely to know details on this kind of thing than she was. While he claimed not be knowledgeable on magic, he WOULD know what was important to be guarded and he would have SOME knowledge of how gummi prisons worked, right?  
  
“I’d say more than a chance.” Ecri reached for his book on dark magic. He had read some about the circumstances surrounding the staff in there, then paused, “Sarrika.”  
  
“Yes?” she inquired, nearly bursting. Finally, a potential lead!   
  
“I will pursue the leads on the staff.” He assured him, “I’ll meet up with Blastus later and let him know what we suspect. But you…dear Healer, you MUST pursue the knowledge of Concordia!”  
  
Guilt settled in her stomach. So excited was she about finding a potential clue against that evil gummi that haunted their every waking moment that she nearly forgot the reasoning behind her seeking out this good knight’s aid. Rising, she set the works of Healer Shrei aside, saying, “If you need me, I will be in the library.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Burial Grounds_**  
  
It was a long time, though how long he did not know, before Corvi got enough control over his emotions to open his eyes and look skyward. He hardly ever prayed anymore, though he supposed perhaps he should have more. Occasionally, when he was younger, he and his mother would bring his brothers here and let his father’s spirit touch them. That was the nice thing about being gummi. Even if your loved one had moved on, you could beseech to feel their spirit once more, though your prayers were not always answered. Sometimes, they would feel nothing. Yet, at other times, he would feel that strong protective sense wrap around him for a moment, a short moment but a moment nonetheless.   
  
Sitting here, he had considered it ironic that the time he wanted to feel his father’s spirit the most was when it did not come. He knew he should get inside. The meeting was starting and he was already late. He was certain he was going to hear it and looking down at himself, soaked through to the core, he knew he would be getting an earful for that too. Still, he had hoped ot get some comfort from out here and honestly, just taking the time to remember and reflect did take some, if not a lot, of the stress off his chest.  
Yet, as he stood, he blinked as he suddenly found himself focused on the day his father died, almost three year (relatively speaking anyway) to tomorrow. It made sense but it still hurt, it still burnt. He had seen him die from a distance. He had not listened to either his father or Blastus and had left the city. Yet…no, the more he reflected on that day, despite not wanting to, he found he was seeing holes in his memory. He remembered seeing his father fighting. He remembered it was a field, he remembered his father falling…dying…someone leaning over him…  
  
A block. A mental block.  
  
Corvi bit his lip. Mental blocks were not common among gummies. Being a very open race, they were always talking, always communicating. That was one reason keeping this under wraps about his mother was so hard! He wanted to collapse into tears, sobbing about the unfairness of it all to Blastus. Truthfully, with each passing day, he was considering it. Blastus had never failed him before. Surely…surely…surely…he would make sure that he would not lose them, right? Right?  
  
That made this mental block disturbing. Corvi frowned, closed his eyes, focused on that day, a piece at a time. He HAD to push past it. He was not sure why…but something…something told him he needed to. Maybe it was Papa? If that was the case then he had to. Papa was trying to tell him something, he decided suddenly. He could feel a faint warmth in his chest. Yes, Papa’s spirit was trying to tell him something. Now, remember Corvi! He cursed at himself. Focus and remember!  
  
Papa heading out on a mission.  
  
Mama saying she was feeling labor pains, going to the healer.  
  
The healer saying she was in labor.  
  
He took off out of the city, after his father.  
  
He spied him, heading east…followed him…  
  
Suddenly, a rush of memories overwhelmed him. Not the things he had “assumed” had happened. Not the images his brain had plugged in but the horrors of that day. In pure color, in complete emotional intensity. His knees gave out and he collapsed, sinking into the wet earth. He felt a horrible tightness in his chest and nearly vomited right there. Fear, a deep rooted fear that plunged through his veins like an ice cold water made him shake like a terrified child. He remembered. He remembered all of it.  
  
And he remembered why he wanted to forget.  
  
Jumping up, he took off back for the palace, tears running down his face, “Blastus!”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Main Council Chambers_**  
  
“No one else ever went down there? There was not an additional entrance?” Sir Gumlittle inquired.  
  
Grammi shook her head, even as Gruffi said, “Least one person did.”  
  
Zummi turned as did the entire room, “Someone else?”  
  
Gruffi shrugged, “I didn’t know where this entrance was ‘til I was an adult. Never had any desire to. Thought it was all hogwash. Evil gummies and magical prisons and entire wings of the Glen we didn’t know about. Didn’t believe none of it!” He shook his head, a strong frown on his face. “But then Merri and Kashimi got on this exploring kick. Merri knew the Glen inside out, said one of his granddads helped design it. Kashimi, well you all remember how she was. Always wanting to explore, always wanting to know more. She heard the stories, same as we did but guess she took after you two and decided to find out for herself.”  
  
Zummi and Grammi exchanged glances and then Grammi said, “Oh, Gum, Gruffi, don’t tell me that it was there that poor Kashimi…”  
  
Gruffi sighed deeply. He hated bringing up emotional stuff and this was chock full of it. “The beam gave way by the entrance. She and Merri had been trying to see if there was a way through. Merri said there was another way in, some kind of ceiling opening but she said she was almost through and that beam came down. Blocked the entrance the rest of the way and crushed her. It was quick at least.” Gruffi sighed, “I sealed that blasted door up myself with ‘bout three others. It’s sealed sealed.”  
  
Silence for a moment then Cubbi finally spoke, “Who’s Kashimi? And Merri? You never tol’ me about those two.”  
  
An awkward silence settled once more. Sir Plucki, picking up on it, eyed his squire. He could almost feel the frustration reeking off the cub. Cubbi leaned forward a bit, “Look, I’m not asking you for a life story or somethin.’ First you didn’t even tell me about Emi…at all….” He was a bit hurt about that though he supposed he could not blame them. Now, they were mentioning other gummies that he had never heard of. A Kashimi and Merri. Who were they? “And now you can’t even tell me who these gummies were?”  
  
Gruffi sighed, “Kid…”  
  
It was Tummi, of all people, who interrupted Gruffi. “Your parents, Cubbi.”  
  
Cubbi jerked his attention to the blue furred bear, “Huh?”  
  
“Kashimi was your Mama, Merri was your Papa. I was a little older than you when they died.” Tummi shrugged, “Never knew about the entrance with your mom though.”  
  
Grammi wrung her hands, “Cubbi, it just never came up, darlin’.” She gave a deep sigh, “It was hard to address…”  
  
“Never…came…up.” Cubbi felt anger though he really didn’t know why. He certainly never asked about his parents. Still, they shoulda tol’ him something! Their names would have been a good place to start. And now…now…he had to find out about them here? Cubbi bit his lower lip and looked to the side a moment, obviously gathering his emotions. He ground his hands into tight fists and then felt the comforting hand of Plucki on his shoulder. The knight gave a gentle squeeze to him and Cubbi nodded, “…I’m fine, Plucki. I’m fine.”  
  
To the surprise of his old clan, he did not give into the many different emotions as he had been prone to do before. Instead, he addressed them, “I wanna talk to you ‘bout that later. Not the time.” He took a shaky breath to steady his emotions. “So…the door is sealed?”  
  
Taken aback slightly, Gruffi nodded after a moment, “Sealed tight.”  
  
Gumlittle frowned, “You mentioned that Merri said there might have been another way in?”  
Gruffi nodded, “Said some kind of trapdoor or somethin’ that got you in from the upper floor. We never investigated it after Kashimi passed away. Figured it was best to leave it buried.”  
  
The room seemed heavy with sorrow a moment and then Wooddale cleared her throat, “Do you know anything about Lumina Gummi? Presumably, she was one of the key creators of the prison.”  
  
Zummi nodded, “Lumina…she was a sweet one. Her granddaughter’s right here.” Zummi indicated Sunni who blinked in surprise.  
  
“What? My grandmother helped make the prison?”  
  
“More like did most of it.” Grammi cut in. “Always thinkin’ outside the box Lumina was.” She shook her head, “She was pretty secretive about it though, least from what I remember and I was young, Zummi too. The adults kept us out of the loop on a lot of things. I know she spent a lot of time in the library and talkin’ with a lot of other gummies. Visitor gummies that I didn’t know. I didn’t think much on it. She just came out each night tired as could be.” Shaking her head, the motherly gummi sighed, “Poor dear.”  
  
Zummi frowned, seemed to be thinking, rubbing his chin. Gusto, who had been quiet for a lot of the meeting, absorbing what he could, eyed the purple furred magician, “What’s up Zums?”  
  
“Well, there might be one thing. Remember how close Lumina was with Gheralli Gummi? Weren’t they usually together?”  
  
Grammi nodded, snapping her fingers and before anyone could ask, she said, “Your grandma, Tummi, dear. She was a weaver of the utmost caliber. Learned how to sew from the one that made the Great Quilt.” She eyed the room, “Anyway, Gheralli said she had been making a ‘memorial’ quilt for centuries. Never said what for but I’d bet my cookin’ pot that it was for Emi’s victims. Then she started talkin’ with Lumina a lot before they made that prison. I’d reckon she put somethin’ about that prison in that tapestry. Maybe how it worked even.”  
  
Zummi eyed Sir Plucki “I believe she said she was going to give it as a gift to Gummadoon, said that you deserved a way to honor those lost as well—“  
  
What was going to be said was lost as the door to chamber was burst open, nearly knocking Sir Horli off his feet as a soaking wet Corvi, his hair a mess and his uniform muddy burst into the chambers, screaming Blastus’ name in rapid succession. The Gummadoon knight was quickly out of his seat and grasping his squire by the arms as the room erupted into shouts. Corvi was screeching in French at his mentor, in such rapid fire speech that even Blastus had a hard time catching it all. Putting his hands from the boy’s shoulders to his face, he implored “<Calm! Calm, Corvi. Great Gum, what is it?>”  
  
“<I remember it now, remember it. I didn’t want to remember it but I did and if I knew then I woulda told you all sooner but I->”  
  
By now, nearly everyone had stood and Plucki turned, raising a hand, indicating he wanted silence. When that failed, he raised his voice, a rare feat, “Be still!”  
  
The result was instantaneous as all voices stopped and clamoring stopped, save for Grammi who looked like she wanted to sprint over and grasp the teenaged bear in her arms. Plucki dropped his gaze from the room and set his sights on Corvi, as did Gumlittle who went to the boy’s side, even as Blastus attempted to speak to the frantic lad in French to calm him. The short Gummadoon knight started to stroke the boy’s wet blond hair, saying in French still “<Corvi, we will listen but you must be calm. Do you hear me, little lamb?>”  
  
A shaky nod and the boy took a swallow of air. This time, it was Sir Plucki who touched the boy on the head, saying, “Good, lad. Now what in Gum’s name vindicates this panic?”  
  
“I…remember. I didn’t want to remember. I wasn’t lettin’ myself remember. Then, I…” he took another gulp of air, keeping his eyes on Blastus, “I went out to Papa’s grave and I started to remember. All of it. Something to do with Emi.”  
  
The room went dead silent and the council members exchanged glances as did the knights. Councilor Berrybottom spoke out, “Can you share it with us, young Corvi?”  
  
The cub nodded, though he was still panicked and he had to focus to breathe normally. Blastus wrapped an arm around the boy and led him to a seat, still keeping a firm connection to him, hoping to still his nerves. “It was the year she was imprisoned. Before she was captured.”  
  
Still shaking and trying as hard as he could to keep his voice steady, the teenager forced his mind back to a place he didn’t want to go, to a place he didn’t want to go ever again, to a place that he understood why his mind tried to block it out…  
  
 _Frowning, Corvi upped his speed. Papa was fast. He supposed that was expected. After all, one did not become a knight by being a weakling! Still, in this case, he wished that his father was slower. Mama was in sickbay and he was going to have his new sibling soon. Surely Papa would not want to miss that. There was not a battle going on right now. Surely Papa’s investigation mission could wait. He knew he wasn’t supposed to leave Gummadoon but he reasoned that telling his father he was going to be a Papa again was a good reason!  
  
There he was. He’d stopped between a forest path and a corn field. He glanced first left and then right. Always on guard, as always, “Papa!” he called, not wanting to surprise him.  
  
Sir Gustav whirled around and shock then fear shot through his eyes, surprising his son. “Corvus!” he hissed, using the boy’s birth name, “What are you doing here?”The knight’s heart began pumping a million miles a minute. True enough, this was a mission to see if their spies had been right. He feared they were as they had yet to report back. He feared that on this mission to once more try to narrow down Emi’s whereabouts that he would come across their bodies. He and several of the other scouts had theories, though he had to admit he was disgusted that it was even a possibility.  
  
Then, his son….his son was here!  
  
“I came to tell—“  
  
Gustav cut the boy off by clamping a hand over his mouth. Looking about, the very air seemed to have turned cold. An icy wind blew but there was no snow and the plants didn’t sway to it. The Gummadoon knight cursed under his breath then pushed his son roughly into the cornfield, hissing to him, “No matter what, you keep still and silent, hear me! Not a word, not a breath! No matter what happens!”  
  
So startled, Corvi was not able to give a response as his father straightened and drew his sword. The cub got to his knees and peered through the corn stalks. He was still fairly close to his father. The bear was purposely staying in front of his son. A dark feeling settled in Corvi’s stomach. He bit his lower lip as a faint light appeared in front of the two of them. Stalking from the light came a gummi he had never seen before. Purple fur, so dark it was nearly black and long flowing black hair. She stepped towards his father, unarmed but with a confident swagger.  
  
Corvi’s nose detected sweat. His father was sweating. His father never sweated!  
  
“So, you found me. I guess that makes me it, then?”  
  
Her voice…so dark, so cold. It was…well, honestly impossible to describe. It made Corvi’s blood run cold though and he was very grateful for his father’s strong presence. The gummi in question, stood tall, his sword out in front of him, “So, it’s true, Emi. It’s not enough…the things you’ve done, you’re in league with that witch, that Lady Bane too?”  
  
The gummi laughed, throwing her hair back, “Well, I would not call it alliance, good Sir Knight.” She teased the title on her lips, walking about, eyeing him. It was like a lion approaching a prey animal. “Though, yes, rest assured that her castle has been quite the refuge for me.” She pushed her black hair back, “Never would have figured it, would you? Living and plotting with a human?” She stood still a moment, locking her gaze on him, “That place of stone and wood knows more about me than any of you do and she holds my secrets well.”  
  
Gustav narrowed his eyes. “Your ways have caused nothing but pain and anguish. It is a betrayal of your very blood! We gummies live by honor, by love. For life, not for death.”He shook his head “And you align yourself with someone who desires the destruction of all of that!”  
  
“So you say.” She responded, her hands glowing a faint shade, a golden shade. “I chose to live for myself, for my own power.”   
  
Then without warning, she charged, the gold in her hands forming at each strike, first a sword, then a mace, then a shield when Sir Gustav struck back. This song and dance continued for a few minutes before Emi Gummi stated, “As amusing as this workout has been Sir Knight, I must admit, you know more about me…and my whereabouts than I am comfortable with getting out!”  
  
The flowers about the knight’s feet in an instant were sharp thorns that rose as knives and dug into his flesh. Blood spilled forth and caught off guard the knight fell to his back, just before his son, still crouched amid the golden corn. It blended in with his hair and fur brilliantly. In fact, the knight could not even focus on his son, despite wanting to before the dark furred gummi appeared in the air above him, stating “You know how hard it is to find a refuge? I won’t have you blabbing about mine!”   
  
Gustav’s sword was up, ready to strike back.  
  
The gummi lady’s grew brilliant golden and she grasped the blade itself, with no damage to her hands (a mini magical shield apparently) and with arms fueled by a simple strength spell, she pushed back, with all her strength.   
  
The hilt of the sword passed through the knight’s chest armor with a sickening sound and emerged out the back, exploding with a shower of blood over his child, not three feet away.  
  
Corvi bit his hand to keep from screaming. He would have shrank back into the cornfields more but Papa had said to not move. Not move. That was what Papa had said. Oh, Gum Papa…  
  
The dark haired Gummi stepped forward, grasped the blade of the sword and yanked hard, forcing it back through the way it came. She stared at the crimson color a moment and at the blood that flowed from that horrific wound, as if amused by it. Then, leaning over , she draped her face right over the lost warrior’s face. Corvi pinched his eyes tightly shut and held his breath. That gummi was right there. If she turned, she’d see him, she’d see him! The corn stalks moved a bit and despite it tickling, despite it itching, the cub dared not move, he dared not breathe.  
  
“Well, you can rest assured knight, you know more than most people about me. Feel free to drop by sometime. You know where I live.” Standing, she dropped the blade to the ground, turned on her heels, dying some of that black fur a bit darker in red blood, and vanished in a flash of light._  
  
Corvi caved, unable to stand it any longer. He buried his face into his mentor’s shoulder, still at his side, sobbing, “My fault, my fault, my fault!”


	34. Chapter 34

_**Healer's Alcove, Gummadoon**  
  
_ While Lucki held his sister, ignoring the spread of bruising on his leg where she lay her head, he felt both calm with relief and a measure of alert caution for there was no way to predict why Lady Bane was allowing him this moment nor when it would abruptly cease and she'd rend control from him again.  
  
And yet, the moment he'd always wanted continued -- to be holding his sister, both of them alive, safe, able to revel in his return. Suspicious, Lucki took a calm breath, closed his eyes, and dared to sift through his own mind and body for any sign of her.   
Oh, her clinging aura was present, stretched thin but over him like a transparent icky sheen of oil. That's how he knew she wasn't gone. Everything else about Lady Bane -- her everpresent conceit, disdain, cruelty, and hatred which surrounded every act of power exerted over his dominated form -- all of that had gone... somewhere else. And how he hated to do it now and break the moment but with her absent, could he finally speak out? Yes! Do it before she stops him again, as she had at even the whiff of a thought of defying her!  
  
"Tavi... Sis, I have to tell you something." Lucki started, his urgency clear. But he had to keep calm, to try and block his thoughts, lest the witch sense his attempts.  
  
Tavi sat up, then gasped at the bruising left by her gentle weight. "Lucki! Your leg!"  
  
"No, don't worry about that. Just listen! Lady Bane is--"  
  
 _Ah-ah..._  
  
A voice, terribly cold and black and echoing painfully in his head! Lucki clutched at his ears, though that wasn't where the sound entered. It was quiet, far off, but still agony from within! And that is when Lady Bane's presence filtered into his awareness, inky and tentacly and clingy, possessive of him.  
  
 _You see? How powerful are you pretending to be if you can't even command the pup to obey when you are away? If you had even half my level of control, you'd have known what he was up to while you sought me out. And, believe me, Little Bane, you are not ready for me._  
  
In response, Lady Bane pushed outward, toward the voice in the distant dark outside his mind, and told it, _This is my meat suit!_  
  
 _Oh really?_ Humored, the voice was.  
  
Without warning, Lucki found his arms flailing about... No, not flailing but executing precise and hard slaps to his terrified sister!  
  
He wasn't sure how but the shock and anger inside him bubbled up and over and covered even Lady Bane's inky hold of him. He found he could force his arms to his body, clench them there, but the great effort required to cease harm to his sister cost him the command of his legs, eyes, mouth. He fell, Tavi shrieking his name, but the sound fell into a void where normally unconsciousness would follow.  
  
And yet, when he lost control of his body and the outside world became black, Lucki still sat very much aware in his mind. Aware, but not alone. He felt it terribly, Lady Bane's grasp on him -- on body and mind. And, somewhere far away, he could almost feel that evil black voice stinging him from beyond.  
  
 _You see?_  
  
 _Get out, Emi! This one is mine! Lady Bane yelled bravely at it, hiding her fear. Go play your games elsewhere in bigger ponds._  
  
Emi?!... Lucki shrank inward at the automatic fear generated upon hearing such a dreaded name. The thing talking from afar was that horrible creature?!  
  
 _Oh, our games are all connected, Little Bane._  
  
At the second use of the nickname, Lady Bane mentally shouted in the void, _Shut up!!_  
  
Emi continued, unfazed. _And whatever you think is yours? It already belongs to me. You saw how it bent to my will._  
  
 _And how he pushed back!_ the witch countered. _You may have bested my mother but you'll not have me, or my prize!_  
  
He felt a surge of intoxicating, crazy brashness from Lady Bane, and then she... she sort of melded their control, somehow, which as far as he could tell allowed them both joint agreeable control of his body. It was like how an adult takes a cub's hands and guides them in an action both desire but requires each strength to lend aid... or something. It was hard to describe, even years later. Maybe it was more like she was literally draped over him and commanding his actions, but not wrestling him for them like before. One thing was for sure and that was both he and Lady Bane wanted Emi OUT. Again, kinda hard to describe... Hate to say it, but with Lady Bane's help, they were able to sorta shut the voice out -- the entire intruding presence. It was a bit like shutting a really heavy iron door or bringing down a drawbridge.  
  
Before he'd a moment of relief over their success, Lady Bane's overbearing presence pressed him hard into a tiny mental corner. _Don't get any more ideas or I'll gleefully make you choke the life from your sister the next time you try to defy me._  
  
She was angry. She wasn't joking or exaggerating. He wax taxxed enough and still fearful of her threats to remain complaisant. There may be other opportunities, better ones, in the future, he thought as quietly as he could to himself. Opportunities to tell the others of Emi, of Lady Bane still possessing him, of... of everything! Now...  Now he could only wait, unable to see outside of the blackness of his unconscious mind, wait until Lady Bane messed up again.  
  
And outside Lucki, as Tavi screamed for a healer, her tears fell like rain on her unaware brother. The bruising from his fall had spread across half his body. She hadn't been able to catch him. He may have a concussion, or broken bones! Why wasn't he waking up? Why couldn't she help him?!

* * *

  
  
 ** _Inner Council Chambers, Gummadoon_**  
  
Cubbi could only stare as Grammi and Plucki took charge of calming Corvi down. Shock, that's what it was. He knew it, even as he sat in it. Sure, he and Tavi had been through a lot of stuff -- a lot of bad stuff . Heck, he just found out his Glen family knew all about his mom and dad and never told him a thing about how they died, or even their names! And here's Corv, doing his best to hold it all together when he'd actually seen Emi with his own eyes, and saw her kill his dad, and then the memory got blocked out... Gum, Corv... Cubbi started to count himself lucky that, despite just now learning of his mother and father, at least he hadn't seen them killed.  
  
Blastus was still clutching his squire tightly, still saying things in French to him, over and over. It seemed to be working and Plucki had knelt to one knee so he was in front of the boy, seemingly casting out all the rest of the room, speaking gently to him, a tone that Cubbi had heard from him after the war so many months ago. It was a delicate tone but there was no denying the strength behind it. Cubbi had to admit that seeing Corvi hurting…so much. And he had done all that work for them! Yet, he was hurt the most by Emi..out of all of them!  
  
Pushing himself out of his seat, he crossed around the table and without waiting, threw his arms around the sobbing teen. He wanted to make him feel better! It wasn’t fair! This wasn’t fair to poor Corvi! All he had done…seeing the teen in such pain made Cubbi’s own heart hurt. He wanted to make it stop! Make it stop anyway that he could! Couldn’t he do anything?! The desire to do anything, absolutely anything at all, was nearly overpowering. When Cubbi flung his arms around Corvi, he wanted it even more because he felt the boy’s trembling through his embrace.  
  
Cubbi had to admit, he was not even listening to what Blastus, to what Plucki and to what Grammi were saying though he could hear them talking. He couldn’t really understand Blastus anyway. The knight was still speaking French but at least now, Corvi was starting to gather his strength to respond. He seemed to be responding to where he was instead of lost in that awful, most horrible memory! Cubbi felt like he was going to cry himself, simply because Corvi was hurting so much! So, he decided to just do what the others were doing—talk.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Corv! That isn’t right, that isn’t fair. But you’re not gonna lose no one else, okay? No one else!” On this, Cubbi was adamant, digging his hands into tiny fists that he dug into Corvi’s tunic. “I promise you, Corvi! No one else!”  
  
That got a reaction, though not exactly what he expected. It wasn’t a bad reaction but just…odd. Corvi looked right at him, locked eyes with him. He looked like he was going to start crying again, his eyes even filled up but then he just pulled Cubbi into a strong embrace, burying his face into Cubbi’s shoulder. It was super uncomfortable as Corvi had yanked him nearly off the ground and the teen was clutching him like a vice but Cubbi could hardly think it to be appropriate to pull away, no matter how much it was hurting the muscles in his chest and legs.  
  
Thankfully, Blastus cut in before too long, stating, “Captain, permission to excuse ourselves?”  
  
“Granted.”  
  
Blastus stood, still clutching Corvi close and when he forced the teen to his feet, he did finally release Cubbi who nearly tumbled onto his backside, save for Plucki’s saving steadying hand. Grammi pursued the two of them out of the council chamber and no one dared try to stop her. A female hand might be useful for the boy, and Cubbi knew that despite how irritating she could be at times, there was no one else he knew of that was as talented at making you feel better than she was. So long as she didn’t try to offer any food, she could do a lot of good.  
  
The soft closing the room doors seemed to make a horrific slam. There was no talking, save from the occasion mutter from one to the other. Cubbi turned and eyed his mentor who was slowly climbing to his feet, having still been in his crouched position from earlier. Biting his lower lip, the young cub stated, “Sir Plucki…so…if Emi was going to Lady Bane’s palace a lot, could we find some answers there? Doesn’t sound like Lady Bane knows, least she never seemed to brag about it and she’s vain as they get. Her palace is big. Maybe there are some things there that we could use?”  
  
A gentle smile crossed the captain’s face though there was still signs of pain there, having taken Corvi’s story to heart. The poor lad! Gustav had been one of his stronger knights and quite the kind fellow. Always one to offer a helping hand and he always returned to help others, even if he was hurting himself. Plucki remembered all too well when Corvi’s older brother Tori had passed away from illness. Though the loss of his first child had crumbled him and his wife, he still found the strength to press onward. It was an admirable trait. It made sense to the Captain that he had met his end defending his son.  
  
All the same though, for him to die in front of his son, Plucki could not even begin to imagine. It made him sick right down to his bones. However, it also served as a motivator, as a reminder that Emi had to be stopped, that she could not be allowed to escape her prison, that they could not allow these tragedies to pile up again. Despite the horrific images that Corvi’s story had brought up, it had also given them vital information. It appeared that the information they had possessed before and had begun to recollect now, was far from complete.  
  
Turning to his squire, the Captain gave a small smile, despite the situation, “Right, lad. Brave Corvi has given us an advantage.”  
  
Shifting his eyes up to Councilor Wooddale and Berrybottom, he cleared his throat, “Cubbi is right,” the Captain insisted. “Corvi has given us a gift. Surely, we should continue to investigate what her prison is, how it was created and potentially how to strengthen it but there also the need for simply getting as much information as can. Right now, we are far too blind. If there is the potential for information at Lady Bane’s…we must look into it.”  
  
Berrybottom gave a nod, “Agreed. If she was venturing to that witch’s palace as Corvi reported to have overheard, there may be hidden alliances that we need to prepare ourselves for. We suspected that Lady Bane’s attacks were separate. However, it seems that we may have been grievously misinformed.”  
  
Wooddale raised a hand to still the shouts that began to emerge. “We will need to continue to investigate the issue of Emi’s prison as well. Dear Glen Cousins,” she directed her comments to the remaining Glen gummies, “Have you any ideas where we can get more information? Zummi, you and Grammi mentioned a memorial that was being created by of your children’s ancestors?”  
  
Zummi nodded, “Yes, Tummi’s grandmother. Not a whole lot of information on it, I’m afraid, though I know I am not mistaken that it was piven as a gresent—er, given as a present, to Gummadoon.” He sighed deeply. “All I know is that it was some sort of tapestry or quilt. Meant to show remorse for all the lives lost. Grammi was more interested in that sort of thing, though I’m sure they wrote some on it.” He frowned, rubbed his chin. “Perhaps some journals in the Great Book back home have some insight.”  
  
Cubbi was trying to focus on the conversation but suddenly his mind jerked to the library, from several days ago. Or was it a week or…he had truly lost track of when it had been. But suddenly, he found himself revisiting those days talking with Tavi in the library before they even summoned Destini’s ghost. Like something out of a dream, he remembered passing by a tapestry. A bunch of knights in a circle, heads bowed, holding flowers. It had been so odd, so weird yet he had never bothered to inquire about it. Yet something about it kept sticking out to him. Maybe it was the background which was patchy yet he had never bothered to look at in full. He did remember a tree and some kind of water behind them.  
  
Just like Gummi Glen.  
  
That was the tapestry that Zummi was talking about! Cubbi was almost certain of it! But...he still didn’t know anything else! There had to be information about it, right? Didn’t the library have information on all the artworks and stuff in it? He knew that Zummi always said that if he was really interested, there were stories about all the portraits in the Glen, he just never bothered to look. Surely, Gummadoon was the same? When he had first entered into training, Plucki had told him all about all these portraits that lined the halls, but then had taken him into the library and shown him where he could find books on their histories. Cubbi had avoided them because, frankly, reading was still intimidating for him. Plucki’s old mantra _“Reading is important, always remember that”_ shot through his mind like a burst of light. Yes, there had to be some info on the tapestry, on where it came from, maybe some additional interpretation, what secrets it held! He just had to seek it out!  
  
Maybe it was the sudden realization.  
  
Maybe it was knowing how much more dangerous things had become.  
  
Maybe it was still hearing Corvi’s sobs in his mind.  
  
But whatever the reason, Cubbi seemed to forget where he was, what they were doing as he tore from Plucki’s side, past Sir Horli’s surprised gasp, out the door and down the hall, right for the library without so much as another word to anyone.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Healer Alcove_**  
  
Sarrika had been on her way back, disheartened by what little information she could find (and carrying a hefty stack of more research) when she heard the young girl screaming. That in itself broke her into a run. Dear Gum, had Lucki’s time run out already? Was that poor child being subjected to watching her poor brother’s very soul crumble in front of her? Please, Gum, be merciful. Do not subject a child so young to such a horror! She could heal a great many things but not a broken heart!  
  
Entering the door, she threw down her books in a pile, wincing slightly and hoping that the pages would survive such harsh treatment as she rushed the poor sobbing girl who was kneeled next to her unconscious brother. She didn’t even have to ask as when she approached, she gasped in horror. The boy’s left side was completely black and blue, from his toes to his head, including a deeper bruise on his leg. There was a small trickle of blood on the boy’s bruised arm, from a cut. He must have gotten it when he fell. The healer knelt, trying to ignore the poor girl’s crying and sobbing and pleading.  
  
Her stomach sank as she checked the boy over. He made no response to any of his reflexes and yet there did not seem to be any concussion. She called his name, pinched his nerve points and yet got no response. Oddly enough, after learning what she had, her previous revulsion, while not gone, had reduced dramatically. The poor boy was a victim, in all senses of the word. Of an evil sorceress’ whims and he had no defense against it. Great Gum, it was worsening, it must have been! If the journals were to be believed…  
  
Sarrika gently lifted the boy from the group, taking care not to tousle his head too much, as much as she could avoid it in any event. As much as she didn’t believe there had been damage done, head injuries were not minor problems. She  did not want to make things worse. Inwardly though, this only confirmed her deepest fears. As much information as she had managed to obtain, any information on Concordia would most likely be with the council. The thought of addressing it with Wooddale made her near ill with anxiety. The worst part of a healer was telling loved ones that their dear one most likely would not make it. She had grown accustomed to it over the years but that did not mean it got any easier. Nay, if anything, it became harder! When children were involved, it always became harder and this ran much deeper than telling someone that their loved one was going to breathe their last. As it currently stood, she would have to tell Wooddale, tell Sir Gumlittle, tell poor little Tavi that little Lucki was going to die, eternally. With no salvation, no second chance, just fade away painfully into oblivion with no hope of reunion.  
  
No! There had to be some information on Concordia, something that Wooddale knew or could find out before poor Lucki’s time was up. Yet, as it appeared, his time was running thin. If this condition continued to worsen…  
  
She had to act now. They had no time for uncomfortable feelings!  
  
“Tavi, listen to me.” She strengthened her voice, making it take on a dark and firm tone, something she usually reserved for the most dire of circumstances. However, she supposed that such a descriptor of their current predicament would not be considered inaccurate. In any event, it did shut off the girl’s waterworks and made her gulp heavily, looking the healer firmly in the face. “Good.” She gave the fast praise and kept her sentences short, concise. “I know you desire to be with your brother but I need your aunt and Sir Gumlittle here. It is…vital.”  
  
“Is my brother going to die?” Tavi’s voice shook and trembled and it took all of Sarrika’s willpower not to cave under it, not to say that of course he would not. As much as she did not believe in lying to patients or family, there was such horror, such desperation in that face that she almost desired to. No, she could not. If she caved now, if she delayed even the slightest then poor Tavi would have much worse than a brother’s death to deal with. There was a way to save Lucki, there had to be!  
  
“I need your aunt and Gumlittle here, child.” She repeated, without addressing her question. That in itself was enough to spur the child to movement. Tears blurring her vision, the young girl tore down the hall, her feet pounding the stones as she raced for the council chamber, calling her aunt and Gumlittle’s name in rapid succession. With her gone on her mission, Sarrika turned her attention back to Lucki. She would do what she could for him now. At least the research told her that strengthening the body would delay the death of the soul. That she did have control over!  
  
The bruises were easily dealt with and luckily, there did not seem to be any broken bones though how that was possible, she truly did not know. Managing a light hearted chuckle, she stroked the boy’s green hair back, “Seems you are still holding up to your namesake, dear one.” She closed her eyes tightly, “Gum let that luck come through for you again.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Blastus’ Chambers_**  
  
Grammi stroked the boy’s blond hair again, pushing it behind his ears as Blastus stood. “Corvi, I don’t like this.”  
  
The teen shook his head, “I’ll be okay, Blastus.” He insisted, tears in his eyes still which he fought down. “I...appreciate all you’ve done but…well, we have to move fast.” He eyed the knight. “Plucki and the others will need your help. I’ll come join you in a minute.” He meant that. As much as he wanted to curl into a ball and just bawl forever, he could not afford that. There was not time for that, either for Blastus, for Gummadoon or his little brothers. Gum protect them from the onslaught coming…  
  
Blastus knelt, looking his squire directly in the eyes, “Your eyes and your words don’t match, mon ami.” He told the young boy, with a gentle smile. “You’ve had quite the shock, little lamb.” He said softly, “Take your time.”  
  
Corvi shook his head, “Can’t.” he meant that, “Too much danger coming, Blastus. We have to act now and—“  
  
“—And what good is it gonna do ya to make yourself sick in the process?” Grammi countered. She didn’t know this boy that well but something was up. Not just in the horror that he had just told, not in the horrific detail that he had babbled over and over to his mentor in a weird mix of French and English. Not even in the shaking of his body. They were all signs of something deeper. Grammi could practically smell it and she knew Sir Blastus was no fool. The way he was looking at Corvi right now told her that the good knight was well aware something else was amiss. The way he kept looking the boy right in the eyes only for him to divert his eyes away. Something was going on, something that went beyond the memory of the loss of his father, even as horrific as that had been.  
  
But to get a teenager to confess was a task!  
  
“I…I’ll be okay, I promise.” He locked eyes with Blastus, seeing all too well that he had no intention of cracking. “Blastus, it would make me feel better if you’d figure out a plan with Plucki then…then I promise I’ll talk to you until you’re satisfied.” He locked eyes with his mentor and swore, “I promise.” Corvi regretted the words almost as soon as he had said them but he knew all too well that with the look Blastus was giving him that he would not relent. So…so all he was doing was delaying it! What was he doing?! If Blastus found out…  
  
Well, what was going to happen if Blastus found out about his mother’s death because of his big mouth?  
  
Corvi felt disturbed in that he suddenly didn’t know. Well, no, maybe that was not quite right. He…Blastus had never failed him before. Ever. The realization of it was clear to him as a morning sunrise but all the same, his stomach twisted into knots. What if he was wrong? But..wait, he knew Blastus. He knew him so well. The knight had never failed him, never faltered in sticking to his word, in looking out for him, in caring for him. He had known him since he could first recall memories. Blastus would not..  
  
So why was he still so afraid?   
  
Well, maybe the shock of the memory of his father…Corvi was finding it hard to focus on anything! He felt sick to his stomach, his head throbbed and he just wanted to collapse into a ball and just scream and cry. He was afraid, yes, deeply and on more than one level. But..he could not break. He could not. The others needed him. His brothers needed him to be strong and..  
  
“Corvi. Why not tell me now?” Blastus’ tone was gentle, as it always was. “I know something is bothering you. Something beyond your pere’s death. Ecri came and spoke to me about your brothers. Something has happened to you, little lamb. Please. Talk to me. It is not right for either knights nor squires to take such heavy burdens on their shoulders. We are a family for a reason, Corvi. We support one another, and that means alleviating burdens be they emotional or physical.” He stroked the boy’s loose golden hairs, asking, “Do you understand me, little lamb?”  
  
Corvi nodded, head down and fighting to keep from blurting all the horrific things that had happened right there! “I…do. Blastus, I’m gonna worry about…what our plan is…though. Please. Find out what the plan is…and then…we’ll talk.”  
  
Sighing deeply, the knight withdrew, “Am I able to hold you to that, Corvus?” he inquired. “If I come back and tell you what we have planned, we will talk.”  
  
The squire nodded, head down, “Until you—“  
  
“Look me in the eye and swear it, Corvus and I’ll believe you.” Blastus’ tone was firm, hard and beyond any argument. One rarely heard it but Corvi had heard it a couple of times. Knowing when he was beat, he lifted his eyes up and locked them with his mentor, even as he struggled to keep his tears in. Seeing Blastus looking at him with such concern, such worry and yes, such love almost made him start bawling again but he forced himself to remain firm. He could not give into emotions, not now.  
  
“I swear, Sir Blastus.”  
  
Satisfied, the knight squeezed his shoulder, “I will be swift and then we’ll speak in my chambers, okay, mon ami?”  
  
Corvi nodded as the knight left and collapsed into the nearby chair. He sat there, his hair draping into his eyes for a time before he felt two gentle hands on his shoulders. Turning, he was met with the orange furred gummi woman’s gentle smile, “Land sakes, child.” She spoke gently and wiped his eyes with the edge of her apron. “You’re just a child. Let us adults handle some things, huh?”  
  
Corvi shook his head, “I can’t. I’m involved, so is Cubbi. So are ALL of us. I have to help, in any way I can.”  
  
Grammi grasped his hand gently, “Then, let Blastus help you! I can see it and so can he. What’s going on  with your poor heart?”  
  
Biting his lower lip, he shook his head. Grammi was quiet a moment and then said, “Do you trust Blastus, Corvi?”  
  
Without missing a beat, he nodded, “I always have.”  
  
“He’s always been there for you, hasn’t he?” she asked again, sweetly, never taking her hand off his. “I can see it by the way he looks at ya.”  
  
Corvi was silent a moment then said, “Since I was three. Started my training and he was always there. When Papa was gone…he was there.” He closed his eyes tightly but the images would not die. Him, as little as three crawling up onto Blastus’ lap and playing with his longer hair, when he was five and running circles around Blastus’ legs, when he was eight and presenting Blastus with a sloppy and half baked cake for his birthday with batter still clinging to his hair. He could not recall a single instance where Blastus  failed him, where he had not been there.   
  
Grammi smiled, “And he’ll be there now. But ya gotta talk! No matter what you cubs believe, we aren’t mind readers.”  
  
Corvi stood, pushing her hand off. He heard what she said, believed it. But…he needed to think, he needed to get away. He needed to..  
  
“I appreciate your help milady.” He told her politely “And I’ll keep my word to Blastus. But I need some…time.”  
  
Without waiting, he vanished into the hall and out of sight.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Healer’s Alcove_**  
  
“No! No!” Tavi’s cries were horrific, painful but unstoppable. “No, you’re lyin!” She clutched her unconscious brother tightly, sobbing openly, begging silently for Lucki to open his eyes and look at her, for those bruises to go away and for Sarrika to tell her that no, no, she was mistaken. That her brother was back and he was going to be fine. It was wishful thinking but she clung to it. Please, Gum, let it be that she had misheard. Yet, when she glanced at her aunt and then at Sir Gumlittle, she saw the same horrific looks, the same sickened expressions of broken hearts.  
  
This was not fair!  
  
  
Sarrika gave a hefty sigh. Tavi had returned quickly and with the two requested gummies in tow. It had taken her a moment to assure them that Lucki was fine, if unconscious. She had wanted to take them to a private room to give her news, as she did not want to take the chance that Lucki could hear them but given his fragile state, she was loathe to leave him alone. However, it was looking like she might have made an error in that. The sadness, horror and disbelief had been expected but to hear such desperate pleading from a small child, with tears staining her face was too much!  
  
“I wish I could say I was child but—“ Sarrika trailed off, spying someone just outside the door, barely visible through the crack of the door. “Wait.” She pushed her way to the door and oepned it, spying young Corvi. “Corvi!” The teen paused at her call and entered though it looked like he would rather be anywhere else. She had no time for that though. She needed to be able to get information as quickly as possible and she needed them away from Lucki to do it. As it was, Tavi kept rushing back to his side, pleading and begging. Corvi would suffice for a few moments.  
  
“Yes, Healer Sarrika?”  
  
“Could you please keep an eye on Lucki, please?” she asked softly, “I know you have not had a chance to reconnect with him and I’m aware the council meeting was disturbing but—“  
  
Sir Gumlittle cut in, “Healer, Corvi was—“  
  
“It’s okay,” Corvi interrupted. “I..I’m okay, Gumlittle. I can…” he swallowed, gave a small smile despite his tear stained face, “Besides, maybe Luck will wake up and talk to me.”  
  
The room did not seem any less tense at his statement but Gumlittle relented (and Corvi was pretty sure if the room was even a fraction less tense, he would have refused) and Corvi took a chair by Lucki’s side. Wooddale steered her niece away and the group followed Sarrika into her nearby office, closing the door tightly.   
  
Corvi had to admit he was more than a little baffled. He did not know much of what was going on with Lucki aside from they didn’t know what was going to be the consequences of his resurrection. If Tavi’s tears were any indication, it was not good news.  
  
Corvi’s heart sank as he set his eyes on his best friend. It certainly looked like Lucki, even “felt” like him if he was to be honest. Well, maybe that sounded odd but they had been friends ever since they could walk! It “felt” like Lucki! But the Lucki he knew was not so bruised and broken. Not so silent, not so still. He never had been. He had always been quiet but never silent. He was soft spoken but never silent. Silent, like his father had been. Like Tori had been. Like his mother..  
  
“You’re not allowed to die, Luck.” He said softly, head down. “Not again. Not another death. I can’t...take it.”  
  
He lowered his voice but after everything. After the memory, after being grilled about his brothers, about his behavior...after all of it, he pulled his knees to his chest, tears staining the bottom of his eyes, “You remember Tori, right, Luck? I mean, I know we were both shrimps but…” he shook his head, “You remember him. Took me a good ten minutes to realize he was gone. And Papa…I think I sat there a good five minutes before I ran back for the palace. Didn’t want to remember. Still don’t. But then…you died.” He looked at his quiet friend, not saying anything. “You can’t die again.” He repeated. “Not like Tori, not like Papa…not like…Mama.” He bit his lip. He had yet to say it aloud, except to his brothers the night it had happened. Saying it aloud, finally, seemed to make it all come crashing down and he buried his face into his knees, though he took one of Lucki’s hands in his. “You can’t go away again, Luck. You’re not allowed. I don’t care if it’s stupid. I don’t care if it’s childish. I say you’re not allowed to!”   
  
A small squeeze on his hand made his eyes fly open and he jerked to the boy laying on the bed next to him, “Luck?”  
  
“Tell Blastus, Corv.” The boy said softly, slowly. It was almost like he was struggling to speak and yet there was no strain on his breathing. The green furred boy locked eyed eyes with him and Corvi stared, just stared for the longest time. “I…I won’t die again, Corv.” He smiled lightly at his friend, “But you’re gonna kill yourself.” He didn’t say anything for a moment, leaving Corvi wondering how long he had been awake and if this was really happening, if his friend was truly talking to him, if it wasn’t some crazy hallucination brought on by too little sleep and too much stress. “I promise Corv.” Lucki said again, softly, “If you promise to tell Blastus, I’ll promise not to die.” He took a deep breath and then went quiet again.  
  
“Luck…”  
  
“You take on too much.” Lucki said softly. “Always have. Maybe that’s why Gum let me come back.” He gave his friend a smile again but didn’t open his eyes, “Maybe it was to talk some sense into your stubborn self. Admit it, Corv. Saying it right now…it felt good.”  
  
Corvi didn’t reply. He couldn’t. It still felt so surreal, to be sitting here, talking to his now not so dead friend. His friend who had been like a brother to him. Not dead like the rest of his family. Like, like what might happen to his brothers? No, no. He could not think that way but how could he not? He was trying but what could he do? This Emi had killed Papa! She seemed beyond measure in her power! What was he supposed to do? HOW was he supposed to protect them? And help and protect the others? And cope with all this sadness? And deal with—  
  
Lucki added, “Tell him, Corvi.”  
  
“Lucki, my broth—“  
  
“Blastus’ll take care of you, just like Gumlittle’s taking care of me.” He took a breath again, “Why are you even worrying about that?” his tone was a bit irritated. “Stop trying to be the hero to everyone and let someone else take the burden on.” There it was again, people talking about burdens and relief and family. “After everything we’ve been through, you really think someone is going to let them go away? Seriously, Corv. Seriously, stop thinking with your emotions and think with your head.”  
  
“I..”  
  
“You’re stressed. You always get that weirdo look in your eyes when you’re stressed and the way you’re talkin’…Corvi if you keep anymore inside you’re going to blow up. You’re going to crack. I need you NOT to crack just like you need me NOT to die.” He eyed the teen again “So, fair trade off, right? You don’t break emotionally and I won’t break physically. We need each other. More than…I can tell you.”  
  
  
Lucki inwardly pushed Lady Bane’s horrible threats and attempts aside. It was becoming easier to do but still hard to connect with a lot of his body. His mouth was something he could control if he focused hard enough. When Corvi had said that, just said “not like…Mama,” oh that evil sorceress was quick to start to plan all kinds of horrible things. Things that made Lucki sick. But that was when he fought back. It was hard and she cursed and threatened the whole time but no, no, he would not sit back and let her attack someone ELSE he loved. He still sobbed at the memory of what she had made him do to his sister! He had failed there. Now, Corvi, his oldest friend, was so vulnerable and she was going to utilize it. NO! He would not let her!   
  
He told her as much even as she tried to wrench back control from his mouth. He would not relent.   
  
If he could not warn them about Lady Bane, he could make sure Corvi wasn’t an easy target.

“So…promise me, okay?” that statement was hard to say, Lady Bane was going to win back control any moment and make him go silent! Please, Corvi, please!  
  
“..Promise, Luck.”  
  
The spirit of Lucki gave a deep sigh of relief and allowed himself to be rendered silent. He cast out all Lady Bane’s threats and screams and horrible curses. This victory, though small, was his.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Library_**  
  
Cubbi sighed and frowned, staring at the book in front of him. He had been right in that there was information about the tapestry and it was starting to look like he guessed right. It had been from the Glen but there was lots of information on it! Stuff that he didn’t understand about how it was made, about the maker, about the time it was made but he wanted information on its meaning! The book he had found on some of the artwork (thanks to Librarian Jenni!) was helpful but it was so big! It had been a pain to even get it off the shelf.  
  
Now, sitting here, he had lost track of how long he had been staring at the pages. His head was starting to throb. His eyes hurt. Stupid reading. Stupid. Maybe it was also the fact that he had not gotten much sleep, despite Plucki’s suggestion, but he couldn’t sleep. Not with something so dark literally right at the door and sitting somewhere in the depths of his home! He had to get somewhere before he could sleep. Even if it was just finding out something about this tapestry, then he would be satisfied.   
  
Maybe he should have stopped to grab Toni. He was sure him or Martinni were going nuts unless someone had started to catch them up to date. And he could use the help with these stupid books. Why did it have to be reading? Why couldn’t someone old just KNOW this stuff? The reading was getting to him and he was sure he was getting a lot of it wrong. He had started to sound it out, out loud, like Plucki had taught him. While it helped, it made him look like he was five or something! Despite the seriousness of the situation, that was embarrassing!  
  
So was going to any of the adults and asking if they could help him read. Gum, he was a squire--  
  
And he had just run out of a meeting! Gum, he probably looked like a frightened stupid kid. But…he had just figured they had to act quick. If it turned out he was wrong, fine but so far, that was not looking to be the case. He considered running back and telling Plucki that he had a potential lead but that would mean having everyone confront him on his very rude exit. He had faintly heard Plucki and Gruffi calling after him. Great. Now, they were probably looking for him and he probably had embarrassed them but---  
  
He was close. He could feel it. If he could find something, just a little something, then he could say he had found something substantial, something they could use, something they could investigate further. If he could get some of that fear, some of that anxiety that you could practically taste in the air, to go away, he would consider it time well spent. He didn’t want to hear any more sad tales. He didn’t want this…Emi loose if she had done such horrible things. He shuddered, thinking, just thinking! Of what Corvi had told them.  
  
Corvi had been really mechanical when he told them, telling it like he wasn’t even there. In fact, he’d even referred to himself by name a few times, like he was talking about someone else. It was weird and disturbing. Cubbi had caught Blastus in particular turn a little pale and look at Corvi oddly, like he wanted to pull him into his arms. He had seen a look similar on most of the adults’ faces, especially the knights. Like they had seen that kind of behavior before. Cubbi certainly hadn’t and that bugged him. That wasn’t right.  
  
Turning his attention back to the large volume in front of him, he turned another page, finding himself staring at words that were, well, intimidating to be frank. It was talking about the tapestry, he supposed but there were things like “equivocal” and “exodus.” Or a little further down, “pivotal” and “fervor,” “empathy, “piety,” and something like “robust.” Great Gum, what did these even mean?! He could pronounce them, he guessed (though he was probably saying them wrong) but as to what they actually meant, he had no clue. There was a small picture but it was focusing on the background of the tapestry. They seemed to be pointing to details that Cubbi could not even see anymore in the threads! Lost to old age probably but Gum, they needed answers!  
  
This…was where the answers were, where some of them were anyway. Of that, he was positive.   
  
And if there was any doubt…  
  
As he turned the page again, the print underneath his fingers turned a dark black and the entire page went dark, like it was suddenly covered in paint. Then, a sharp wind, a dark black feeling settled over his heart and he swore he heard a hiss in his ear, cold as ice. _“Too close, little one.”_ Then, he swore, in that black ink, he saw her face—black eyes, black fur and a twisted smile that made him weak in the knees--  
  
Cubbi threw the book as far from him as he could, narrowly missing Sir Plucki as it crashed into the doorframe.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Within Lucki...**  
  
_ As the cub slipped silently back into his corner of the mind, of his own free will, Lady Bane's curses and slurs for once fell harmless upon his back. Oh, she noticed, but she was too wound up to quit. Sliding into sullen mutterings to herself and a violent mental pacing, the witch continued her frantic fuming.  
  
Blast the bear! How dare he steal the mouth!! How dare he rend control for even a second! She would have him jeer as he ripped his family limb from limb! She would take the mouth back and have him cackle like a hell-thing on holiday! She... she... She had to contend herself with yells and threats, at least at present, for she could not do much right now.  
  
Lady Bane frothed and writhed within her encasement of the wretched gummi. Encasement was correct, for she was denying it just as she realized it, tried to hide from the truth as it stretched out to take an inescapable hold on her mind and cradle the very dulled sensation of fear, rearing it and coddling it into full-blown terror. Oh, it wasn't just that Emi had breached her wall, muscled her way in, had sat gloating within the confines of this body she occupied, and then slipped out with ease. No, not just. Not just that. And she mustn't let the brat hear her, mustn't let any of them know. Know that she not only occupied the cub's body but that, within the degradation the body was currently experiencing, her exit, her escape plan, had also degraded until it was nothing more than a little speck -- a peek-hole -- which she could only stare at angrily; because just as she refused to release the body and soul back to one another, so, too, had their natural connection fogged over hers to her own body. She knew it was fine, where it lay hidden so carefully away, but it was now like the degradation of the gummi body had created a fog of decomposition which obscured her connection. If she tried to leave the body, Lady Bane feared that she'd be stuck in the fog, unable to either get out of this body or find her way back to her own. She was indeed stuck and trying very hard not to let on to anyone any such thing. In its desperation to survive, to piece itself back together, the connection between the body and soul had inescapably latched onto her own somehow. And, unfortunately, that meant she could also not harm this vessel any further, nor allow him to harm himself, if she were to have any hope of getting out alive. There had to be a way to escape him and do harm. There had to be! She just needed time to think, perhaps even let the cub think he'd gained more control than he had...

* * *

  
  
 ** _Healer Sarrika's Office_**  
  
Once in her own secluded office, she shut her door and sat to deliver the remainder of her sad news to Sir Gumlittle, Councilor Wooddale, and young Tavi.  
  
"How can you say there's no way you can save him?!" Tavi demanded of her previously delivered news.  
  
Bewildered and equally shocked, Wooddale said, "My niece is right. You have all of the knowledge of your predecessor's in the many libraries of Gummadoon at your disposal and you've found nothing??"  
  
"I... I was getting to that, but I warn you that what I have found is disturbing. I am unsure if you want Tavi here."  
  
The cub bridled with fury. "Oh, you just try and kick me out and see what happens!" but then she turned pleading. "Healer Sarrika, if we can do anything, anything at all, Gum as my witness, we'll do it! I'll do it! He's my brother!"  
  
A grim smile shadowed the healer's face. "I... know, child; which makes this all the more difficult. What I found, based on the research and testimonials transcribed by Healer Shrei and Spiritualist Nivi from long ago... I'm not sure how else to say but what they recorded. That... that a soul which has departed from its original body has a link that is forever severed and it can never be reconnected again. The harshness of separation is also a natural process and to go against it, for humans, creates aberrations like zombies and worse. For gummies, however, the reconnecting of a soul to its deceased form, as with Lucki... The body as we've begun to see begins to degrade and will shut down completely. Lucki will die again but it is so much worse for gummies because..." Despite her career, the necessity of delivering terrible news no stranger to her, Healer Sarrika could not help silent tears as she became the bearer of the worst news imaginable. "because the soul is also destroyed. It is obliterated upon the second death of the body. I... I am so sorry but as a healer I cannot save him."  
  
The room was deathly silent as all within absorbed the full of her news. It was a terrible blow. Councilor Wooddale began to weep quietly. Sir Gumlittle held her for comfort but even he seemed lost. Tavi... Tavi eyed Sarrika with a set jaw.   
  
"You said you can't save him. Does that mean someone else can?"  
  
"Perhaps." Healer Sarrika stressed. She had purposefully waited before mentioning this possible hope, for they all needed to realize what was at stake: literally Lucki's soul. "There was mention of a rare and wondrous artifact, an artifact of legend, one that breaks or creates bonds. If it exists, if it could be found in time, it... it might work to restore your brother successfully."  
  
Tavi's eyes gleamed greedily at the prospect of such a cure. "What is it? What's it called?"  
  
Sarrika wasn't sure she liked the look in the child's eyes but could not resist answering. "Concordia."  
  
Wooddale recoiled on a gasp. Gumlittle's eyes grew round in further shock. Of course, they'd heard of it, too. This younger generation though was so focused on the now, they'd little time for such far off notions as a magical talisman no one had seen for ages let alone witnessed anything of what Healer Sarrika had described it capable of.  
  
"Well? Where is it? Let's get it and try it!" Tavi demanded, a stern bent to her features.  
  
"I would, Tavi. I truly would. But I've no idea where it could be, nor what it even looks like, nor have I found any clues as to where it is yet. I'm still looking, and I'll keep looking, but you know as I that time is against us. We must find it, and soon, or I fear young Lucki will be lost forever."  
  
"That's not gonna happen. I won't let it!" Tavi whirled on her aunt. "Auntie, please tell me you heard of this thing? You know where it is??" She grasped at the councilor's robes.  
  
Wooddale caught the girl's hands in her own. "I... I don't know. That information is beyond the councilors, the knights, the magicians. We do know a select few are chosen to know, and they pass it to their pupils, but the knowledge of the whereabouts of Concordia is a closely-guarded secret. To learn who may know if it, we may very well need to address the entire populace of Gummadoon to find the individual or individuals who hold such knowledge. I'm afraid we may not have time, for it would incite panic when we are just now discovering where we may very well strike at our enemy. I wish there was another way, Tavi." The councilor turned to the healer. "Sarrika, how much time do we have?"  
  
She shook her head, unsure. "Perhaps a few days? We don't know how long it's been since his resurrection. Nor was it clear in the manuscripts how long the... the degradation process takes. I can give him supplements which should extend his health some but it won't last. I understand that this artifact is very powerful, and the need to keep it secret. I just wish there were more time to locate it because I fear there is no alternative known to save Lucki at this time."  
  
"I don't believe you," Tavi said, anger in her eyes. "It can't be true! There's gotta be something else! We just haven't thought of it!"  
  
"That may be true, Tavi, but with the threat of Emi--"  
  
"I don't care about her right now!" the girl yelled. Her hair, with the curious gold streaks in it, began to lift from her shoulders and float in her rising fury. "My brother needs help or he's gonna be lost forever. You said so! And I... I just..." Tavi turned from them and ran for the door. She reached for it but it opened at her will before she even touched it, thrown open with more force than intended, more than she knew she had to wield. It was all too much for her as she tore from the room and ran back to her brother.  
Witness to the budding wizardress's power, they three were delayed in their shock just briefly before pursuing her. They found her with her arms thrown around her poor brother's bruised and unresponsive form, tears pouring from her eyes.   
  
Healer Sarrika checked Lucki briefly, Corvi still at his prone side, before slipping into a small anteroom.   
  
Councilor Wooddale knelt to comfort her niece with a gentle hand and her own tears went unnoticed.  
  
Sir Gumlittle asked Corvi, "Has he woke any?"  
  
"Yeah... Just briefly. We talked a minute. Does Healer Sarrika know what's wrong? Can I do anything to help?"  
  
Sir Gumlittle stood silent. There was that hope in poor Corvi's voice, along with a bit of a crack in there, too, if he wasn't mistaken, but the hope caught a bout of emotion in his throat. What could he say? Nothing. Just like there was nothing he could do. Nothing but deliver the bad news to this devoted squire, that his best friend, once dead and now returned, was soon to be lost completely and forever, and nothing the big knight could do would help.  
  
"Sir Gumlittle?" The silence from the knight told Corvi it was bad; real bad. So was all the crying from Tavi and Councilor Wooddale. Why wouldn't anybody tell him?  
  
Then Healer Sarrika returned. She had an orangey-yellow colored drink in her hand. She handed it to Councilor Wooddale. "Have her drink this."  
  
At the councilor's urgings, she managed to get her niece to swallow a few gulps of the draught past her sobs. In a few moments, the potent solution took hold and the girl was slumped against her aunt's chest. It was all any of them could do to ease the child at this time and, as she slumbered, they found a small measure of peace knowing the girl was calmed. So much sadness for a single family. Sarrika mentally shook her head and pressed only well-wishings in their future. Please, because it isn't fair...  
  
Corvi stood; stood in front of the healer. "He's my best friend. Please, tell me what's wrong with him?"  
  
And that measure of calm left her completely as she had to relate it once more... "The body and soul were severed by natural means. They will not recombine. Once the cub's body dies, the soul will also perish. He'll be lost for good." And so easily it tumbled from her lips, so harsh she sounded! Her lower lip trembled and she shed her tears as she fell into her seat, her head in her hands.  
  
Wooddale focused on laying the sleeping Tavi in a cot near her brother, Corvi's pale face turned to Sir Gumlittle. The squire asked, "Isn't there...?"  
  
The knight shook his head. "No way known, except maybe an ancient artifact called Concordia, but no one we know knows where it could be."  
  
"Maybe the library--"  
  
Gumlittle shook his head, shooting down the idea. "Won't be in any book. It's the most powerful artifact we ever created. And even if I did know who knows about the thing, I wouldn't be comfortable speaking about it outside a magically sealed room anyway, what with Emi nosing around who-knows-where."  
  
Corvi gulped. "Does... does Lucki know?"  
  
Gumlittle could only shrug hopelessly. He felt he knew so little, could help so little... Gum, what a mock of his name. The knight sighed and said, "I'm sorry to say that, and that I have to return to the council chambers. I'm not sayin' Lucki's less important. I'm sayin' I can help in there, and maybe in helping in there, I can find more answers for Lucki in here. I... I haven't given up, Corvi. I just... I don't know what to do here. With my brothers, in there, maybe..." He trailed off, unable to go further. And with that, he turned on his heels and went out, heading straight for his brothers where, hopefully, he could do some good for all.  
  
Corvi looked from Wooddale to Sarrika. "You said no one you know would know of this Concordia. What about... I don't know... gummies overseas, or even, um, dead gummies, like Destini."  
  
While Healer Sarrika looked perplexed and a bit disturbed at the mention of dead gummies, Councilor Wooddale recoiled with a gasp. "Corvi..." she breathed, knowing it was hardly sanctioned to do any such thing, but... if it helped her poor nephew... and they'd already spoken once to the spirit of Destini... Had they a chance there? Dare they disturb a spirit to save that of another?  
  
Corvi saw Wooddale understood, saw her thinking it through. "Maybe... Maybe when Tavi wakes up, she could ask Destini."  
  
Healer Sarrika, still mystified, asked, "I'm sorry but, did you just say Tavi could ask Destini about Concordia? And by Destini, you mean...?"  
  
"Yeah." Corvi sighed. "Tavi called her spirit a few days ago. It's one reason we know as much as we do. Tavi got scared at the thought that Emi was coming back so she used a spell in the Great Book to summon Destini's spirit. It... it was creepy but Tavi knows her stuff when it comes to magic." Corvi's eyes fell away from the others as his mind slipped to other things. His mother, his father, his brother... Once this all blew over, once things settled down and it was all out in the air, would it be too much to ask -- after all he'd done -- or maybe inappropriate to ask? Could he maybe talk to them one final time? He knew he should be able to feel them but he couldn't. And it wasn't probably that they weren't there for him, their spirits. It's just that... his life was such a jumble right now, sometimes he felt he'd explode! With things the way they were, he could only feel the great stress and strain, and his talk with Lucki calmed that but now he just learned his friend's very soul was gonna die and all that anxiety and angst got stirred up again.   
  
His stomach ached but he didn't feel like talking to Sarrika for a remedy, or Wooddale for counsel. He muttered a brief excuse and hurried out. Out, to find a remedy for the swell of memories and pressure and his now pounding head and hurting gut. A remedy he'd only heard mention of. A remedy that wasn't really one but he'd take anything right now at the oversick feeling attacking his very being. The only remedy on his mind? Gummiberry brandy. 

* * *

  
**_Outer Gummadoon Library_**  
  
"Cubbi?" Perplexed, Sir Plucki reached down to pick up the book.  
  
"DON'T!!" Cubbi shrieked, running forward to stop him.  
  
The knight-captain paused, straightened, and eyed his squire, demanding an explanation. "You ran out so quickly... Explain, please."  
  
"I will. Just... Get away from that book! Emi was in it!"  
  
At Cubbi's wild gesticulating, Sir Plucki stepped away quickly and joined his squire. He drew his sword, eyeing the book with renewed caution.   
  
"I was close, Sir Plucki! And she knew it, somehow, and she messed up the book and she... she talked to me!" He shuddered and found himself clinging with one hand to his mentor's tunic.  
  
With care, he peeled Cubbi's hand away and approached the book as if it were a very dangerous foe. With his sword tip, he flipped the book open.  
  
The page he turned to was blank.  
  
"I swear, Sir Plucki." Cubbi whispered, his voice strained. "She was in there."  
  
The knight-captain flipped another page, and several more. The entire book was blank.  
He backed away, returned to Cubbi, led his squire from the library.   
  
Librarian Jenni peeked her head around the doorway of the adjoining library at the ruckus she was hearing. "Everything alright, Sir Plucki?" she queried.  
  
"... Yes. But this wing of the library is potentially contaminated and dangerous. Please put up a sign immediately which forbids its use until further notice."  
  
Beside him, Cubbi visibly relaxed.  
  
Jenni looked perplexed but did as he asked.   
  
When the note was posted, Sir Plucki took his squire by the hand and they started back to the council chambers.   
  
So absorbed was he in his own fevered search, Sir Ecri wasn't even aware of the goings-on in the side library next door.  
  
As they walked, Sir Plucki looked down at the cub's face, still paled by what he experienced. "Tell me what you saw; what you heard. Tell me everything."  
  
Cubbi described as best he could Emi's voice, what she'd done to the pages, and started to say what he was trying to find out. When they reached the council chambers once more and Sir Horli let them in, he was about to start describing why when Gruffi interrupted him.  
  
The concerned handibear walked over and asked, "What made ya run off, kid?"  
  
"Aw, it's all this talk of death and evil machinations, Gruff. It'd freak anybody out!" Gusto said.  
  
"I wasn't scared, Gusto." Cubbi remarked. "I remembered something." Now he got to the meat of the matter. "There's a tapestry here; one I've seen; and I was pretty sure it was the one you guys were talking about. I know we need answers, and quick, so I went to do some research but... um... I got interrupted." No sense scaring them any more than they probably were. If they knew Emi could get into these very walls, get anywhere near him, they'd be all over him to be safe and protected and he couldn't let that happen. He had to be out there, doin' stuff, because there was so much he could do, and so much he knew that it'd take too long to explain and nothing would get done!  
  
"You know which tapestry, Cubbi?" Sir Plucki asked, catching onto this news right away.  
  
"Sure. The one in the hall, with all the knights holding the flowers. But I told you what happened to the book with all the information on the tapestry. You saw just like I did."  
  
His mentor gave a grave nod and, instead of waiting for questions to pop up, addressed the querying looks of the Glens, knights, and councilors gathered. Sir Plucki faced them all. "Fellow gummies, Emi is able to peer into the goings-on here within our very walls. I am even loathe to mention a plan inside this warded room but it is all we have, and I fear time is leaving us. Cubbi discovered a book which held the answers we seek but the information has since been lost due to Emi's influence. Do any here know anything further on the tapestry Cubbi just mentioned? It's imperative that we remember all we can."  
  
The silence in the hall was staggering and just seemed to stack up against their woes.   
The creek of the door as Sir Horli let in Sir Gumlittle did some to repair their hope but as the knight held a tight huddle only with his captain to relay some obviously bad news -- given how pale and hollow and grave Sir Plucki became -- Cubbi thought it best not to know right now whatever it was and just focused on the tapestry again.  
  
Cubbi turned his focus on the gathered gummies. "C'mon; no one? I caught just a few looks at the original tapestry. I know the thing's worn and faded now. Doesn't anybody remember what it used to look like? Y'know, any details? The book I was looking in was called **A Call To Arms**. Nobody else has read it? C'mon!"  
  
Those gathered began muttering and talking amongst themselves when Zummi gave out a startled cry. He'd been holding onto the coveted journal of Merlinni and yelped when it began to glow, flip open to a page, and words began to flow across the previously blank surface.  
  
Cubbi rushed over, knowing that the book heard him and it was answering. He read the words with more ease than any other he'd ever tried to discern before, much to his surprise.  
  
 _You wish to access the manuscript called **A Call To Arms** by Feliciti Gummi?_  
  
"Yes! Do you know the book?" Cubbi asked the journal.  
  
"My word..." Zummi exclaimed on a breath, leaning down eagerly to examine the words as more appeared.  
  
 _Yes. I am also a reference source. I have access to any and all manuscripts, scrolls, and books written during and before my time. All you need to is say "Recall: **A Call To Arms** by Feliciti Gummi." and you shall have your reference._  
  
"Recall: **A Call To Arms** , by Feliciti Gummi!" Cubbi all but shouted. Not that any could blame him. He picked up the book as it began to glow again, his hands shaking but not with fear. No, he was excited. The book's pages filled in and he found himself staring at an exact copy of the book he'd found in the library, before Emi wrecked it. Finally, the answers they sought lay in his grasp. And he had a sneaking suspicion that Emi couldn't smear anything in this magic book. Ha!

* * *

  
  
 ** _Inside Lucki..._**  
  
Lady Bane mentally glanced at the silent presence of the cub she inhabited. Though he was drained from taking over, he wasn't unaware as one normally would be when unconscious. One blasted side-effect of possession... So they'd both heard what the bears said about this body dying, and that the soul inside which she liked to torment would be gone as well, forever. Hm. As delightful as that sounded, she knew what would happen to her own if she remained in the body when such occurred: her own soul would not return to her body and she'd essentially die as well.   
  
There were no eyes to use inside one's mind but they eyed each other none-the-less. Gummi cub and sorceress each knew the fate which was before them.  
  
Lucki was the one to bring it up, observing the intruder's presence as one would a foe he was about to make an unlikely alliance with, because that's exactly what he had in mind. "I think we should talk."  
  
"Shut up!" And Lady Bane would have none of it. In fact, she exerted the force of her presence, pushing and twisting his like a child viciously attacking clay. It was uncomfortable, and probably painful. His wordless writhing put her mind at ease and she'd be smiling a wicked smile if she had a mouth to do so. It was the last bit of pleasure she'd get from this horrid cub, because -- and she hated to admit it -- but if she wanted to leave him, leave and live and be in her beautiful body once more, a kind of truce was the only way out. One that she'd find a way to stab him in the back with, to be sure, but she loathed the notion just the same. She contented herself with squashing him a bit more before, exerting her authority here, before presenting the idea herself to show she was truly and only the one in charge. Remember, she told herself. He doesn't know I'm just as stuck as he is and I've no way out of his blasted body unless it's fixed, because the bloody possession ties had wrapped around her own soul, clinging to it like roots around a solid rock to help uphold a tree.  
  
"Listen up, little bear. I still own you and I don't like it when my toys break before I'm done playing with them. For now, until I figure out how to have you fixed, I'll ease up on making you hurt yourself and others. No sense breaking you further or you'll be useless to me later. In exchange for that... kindness... I expect you to leave full control of this body to me and stop making things difficult or I'll simply let you get hurt and you can die and be forgotten forever, unlike myself."  
  
The soul of Lucki continued to regard her in a piercing way and she thought she felt a hint of a smirk from him. Smug little...  
  
"I don't think so." he told her. "Pretty sure you're lying, about everything, and you'll hurt me first chance you get, every chance you get. So why would you offer not to? I'd guess it's because you can't leave me, for whatever reason. I've seen you scared. You are definitely scared. When you're scared, you probably run just like during the battle when you were losing, after you... you killed me. Maybe it's Gum who's got you stuck, or maybe it's Emi who's trapped you in me." His soul snorted a laugh her way.  
  
Petulant little—  
  
"Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure if you could leave you'd have done so already. So you shut up and listen to what I'm gonna say and maybe we can figure out a way to beat this. I don't know about you but I didn't like dying the first time. I'm pretty sure you don't want to try it so shut up and listen."

* * *

  
  
 ** _Inside Tavi..._**  
  
Groggily, Tavi slowly became aware of the fact that she was dreaming. She blinked sleepily, looked around at gray nothing, and started to wonder what was going on when a dull light began to take shape before her. And who faded into view but the wispy, glowy form of Destini Gummi herself!  
  
Tavi almost cried and fought the urge to throw herself at the ghost's feet. "Destini! Please, ya gotta help me! My brother--"  
  
"Feel at ease, child, for I know the ailment, as I know the cure. Yes, Concordia, as you have heard. It is your brother's only hope. Listen well and I shall tell you where it may be found but be quick. His time is short and you must take a journey."

* * *

  
  
 ** _Council Chambers_**  
  
Preparations were underway for a thorough investigation of Lady Bane's castle. It was not a minor undertaking however. Blastus and his brothers had been busy nearly all night with planning, brainstorming, speaking with the boys and the council. As for himself, he had spent some extra time with Corvi. How horrific to unveil such a memory! A boy's last memory of his father should not be such a scene of carnage. Corvi, as always, was quick to calm himself and in fact, one of Cubbi's clan, the elderly woman named Grammi had swiftly stepped in to spend some time with him. He seemed to accept her offer so Blastus took it upon himself to investigate other matters and aid in the supplying for their journey after answers.  
  
That was when one of the librarians, Lady Jenni, had approached him and told him she was concerned for Sir Ecri as he had not left the library for many hours, pouring over one book then another, jotting down notes here and there and then simply returning to the shelves for more. He had not been responsive when approached and while that had become the norm, the fact that he HAD approached Blastus earlier made it unnerving. That plus the fact that no one could go on and on like that without ill effects. And if his appearance when Blastus had last seen him was any indication, he was already working on less than stellar conditions.  
  
So, he had taken it upon himself to seek out his old squire in the library, following the librarian's gentle directions. While Ecri was grown, he was still his old squire and that bond did not vanish with age. He had been so close before, to finally getting some kind of response from Ecri when the lad had turned and ran. He needed to get through to him!  
  
Blastus remembered when Illsi and Aldi had died. He and Gumlittle had been by their brother's side but there had been another who showed up--Sir Valei, Plucki's old mentor and long since retired. He had stunned all of them with his appearance and despite being quite the stern gummi, he had been nothing but comfort for his old squire. Many may have found it odd, a Gummadoon captain sobbing into his old mentor but it was just like a father and a son. That was the type of bond they established with these cubs and it did not die with knighthood. It endured.  
  
It seemed that he needed to call upon that again.  
  
Finding Ecri was easy, judging by the huge stack of books on a table, the candles burned past their quicks and the gummi high on one of the ladders, muttering softly to himself. Blastus took a breath, called to him, "Ecri!"  
  
The knight did not move and in fact, made no gesture he had heard him at all. Blastus raised his voice, just slightly, "Ecri!"  
  
Again nothing.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Blastus sighed, "Alright, if we're going to play that game---" He narrowed his eyes, deepened his tone and called out, in French "<Ecri Mulian Gummi! I'm talking to you!>"  
  
That got a reaction. Oh, did it ever get a reaction.  
  
Whirling around, Ecri locked eyes with his old mentor, stunned speechless for the moment. Blastus did not allow him a chance to respond, adding, still maintaining that commanding tone, "<Get down here. I need to talk to you.>"  
  
"<Blastus, I'm-->"  
  
"<That wasn't a request, Sir Ecri.>" Blastus added, his eyes still narrowed, "<Get your tail end down here. Now.>"  
  
The knight clenched his jaw and looked ready to reject so Blastus added, "<Do you really want me to go up there and get you like you're a little cub again?>"  
  
Face flushing, the knight finally relented and climbed down, addressing his mentor, "<Sir Blastus, I was working.>"  
  
"I can see that." Blastus remarked, still in his French tongue. "<I admire that but you're taking too much on yourself. We are ALL working hard but we need to work together.>"  
  
"I...am pursuing my own research." Ecri had not lost his ability to speak his mentor's mother language over the years and he utilized that now.  "When I have--"  
  
"<So, we are not considered wise enough to share your discoveries?>" the tone was clipped, short.  
  
Ecri lowered his head, "<I never said that, Blastus.>"  
  
"<Yet you are implying it.>"  
  
"<Not that... just...am close. If I could just have a little more-->"  
  
"<More time? Ecri how long have you been in here?>"  
  
"<How long? It's only been...>" Ecri paused. He thought.   
  
Blastus frowned, "<How long?>"  
  
"<Well, I cannot...say for certain...>" The fact he couldn't recall actually startled Ecri to be quite honest. He had simply begun absorbing book after book after book.   
  
"<Long enough to wear four large candles down the quick.>" Blastus remarked. "<Long enough that Jenni took notice and that means at least a day.>" He stepped closer to the younger gummi and wrinkled his nose in pure Blastus bluntness, "<Long enough that you need to take a shower.>"  
  
Scoffing, Ecri replied, "<Blastus, it is not as bad as-->"  
  
Fed up, Blastus grasped his former squire by the arm and dragged him out of the library. Anyone passing by would have though it humorous--an adult knight being hauled off like he was little child. Blastus pulled him into the nearest washroom and forced him to look in the mirror, "<Look at yourself, Ecri! Really, truly, LOOK at yourself!>"  
  
Not really able to do otherwise, the knight relented. He had to admit, it had been a long time since he had really looked in a mirror. It reminded him of his brother and so it hurt but surely, Blastus was exaggerating like he always—  
  
His thought stopped and he froze.  
  
Blastus, still standing behind him, went on, "<Look at yourself, Ecri. You haven't slept. You're barely eating, you've lost weight. Your color is bad. What is the first thing a knight must do to help others, hmm?>"  
  
"<Blastus, I'm not a little cub any-->"  
  
"<To me, you always will be now answer me. If it helps your pride, it isn't Blastus asking. It's your commanding officer asking. Now answer me.>"  
  
"<We...must take care of ourselves...and one another...before we can help the fallen and weak.>" he repeated the old mantra, still staring at his reflection. At his worn skin, the circles under his eyes. The way his uniform hung so loose.  
  
"<Then why aren't you?>" Blastus inquired again, still staying firm behind him.  
  
"<We...I...must help stop Emi. I think I am close. If I can...>"  
  
"<And how long until your body takes what it needs by force, hmm?>" Blastus asked again, though his tone was softer. "<How long until someone comes and tells me  that you've collapsed?>" He tightened his grip on the knight's shoulders. "<You've noted the odd behaviors in Corvi and I appreciate that. But I need you to see the behaviors in yourself! Ecri, I am here. We all are here. Give us some of this burden that you needlessly put on yourself! Did I not make that clear when I was raising you to knighthood? That knights are a family? Have I failed in that respect?>"  
  
The sudden accusation shot through his heart. He remembered Blastus always being there. Helping him prepare to go out for his first dance, helping him learn to shoot a bow, tolerating his tone deaf ability to play an instrument, wrestling with him on rainy nights, always one that he could go to, that he could tell anything to. Granted, he did not know what it was like to lose a brother but...did that make any of the other things he had done for him any less significant?  
  
He remembered that time in the hall, when he had nearly cracked. When he had wanted to alleviate some of this pain, just a bit.  
  
Turning, slightly, he met Blastus with broken eyes, saying, "<You...already have so much on your plate. I could not-->"  
  
Blastus moved his hands to clasp the knight's cheeks, "<Ecri...my little jelly bear...>" He smiled at the faint color in Ecri's cheeks, "<No matter how busy I am, not matter how much I have to deal with, my family will always take priority. YOU are still my family. Just as Corvi is. Just as Flynn is. Just as Plucki and Gumlittle are. I let you go too long. I should have had this conversation with you months ago.>" He shook his head, "<Forgive me for that.>" He rubbed the knight's face, where a few tears linger just the base of his eyes, "<Am I not still dear to you as well? Could you not always come to me with anything?>"  
  
Ecri was silent for so long that Blastus was almost afraid he had shut down again. Then, "<You are...you...always...have been...Blastie.>"  
  
The broken knight gave in, laid his face into Blastus' chest and sobbed.


	36. Chapter 36

**_Within Lucki_ **

  
_No!_ The sorceress’ protest was harsh, was dark and Lucki could not help a small smirk at the faint fear he felt from her. He loved to know that despite her threats, despite her shouting, that she was far from being in command. The situation was dire for her, as it was for him. Perhaps not as dire for her…though perhaps it was. In any event, they had both come to the conclusion that they had to form something of an alliance, if a horribly reluctant one, to make it out of this situation. Emi was a dangerous foe for both of them. Lucki had grown up hearing the stories of Emi around a campfire, or rather, told in whispers around the castle. The adults scarcely mentioned her but that just made her all the more interesting for the cubs. It was more than that though. Much like Corvi, he had been alive when they had captured her although the adults did everything they could do to keep him out of it. But, much like Corvi, having a father that was a knight, even a retired one, made him more involved. His father had come out of retirement to join the cause and his aunt was involved on the political side. He knew she was dangerous.   
  
Then, there was Lady Bane’s side. While Lucki could hardly see all her memories and quite frankly, he had no desire to, he could sense enough. Emi was not unknown to her. The pure fear, no, the pure terror, had felt from her when Emi made her presence known had told him that much. It was rare for Lady Bane to reveal much emotion to him but in that case, he had felt it. A strong desire to do whatever was necessary to get that demon out! Given Lady Bane’s reputation, her fear of Emi only made the former’s already notorious deeds even more frightening. It was a game of life and death now. Power and desire were becoming secondary and forgotten, even to someone as selfish and greedy as the sorceress currently sharing his body.  
  
Still, Lady Bane was reluctant to give up her advantage. Despite the danger, the idea of giving in, of making herself known, was something she fought. _No, I will not give in to your petty ideas, cub. I do not need your--_  
  
 _Look,_ Lucki struck back at her protests, _you can sit here whining about your loss of advantage—  
_  
 _Watch your tongue, little bear_ came the snarling response.  
  
 _Whatever. You’re whining._ Lucki replied simply. _But we aren’t exactly in a position where we’re full of options. Let them know you’re here.  
_  
 _Oh, I’m sure you would love that, wouldn’t you, little one?_ She sneered. _Sic your precious Auntie and Gumlittle on me.  
_  
 _They’ll find out eventually_. Lucki countered. _One way or another, they’ll find out. So, if you want to stick to your stubborn ways and get us both killed by Emi, fine but _I_ intend to let them know one way or another. Much as I hate it, you might be useful._ He hated admitting that but it was true. She was old. She might have knowledge they could use. She knew of Emi and from a different angle than they did. She had seen different things, experienced different things. Anything that could help them from falling victim to Emi again would be worth the risk. And whether you admit it or not, we have the same enemy right now.  
  
The sorceress was silent a moment, _And how am I to believe that you will not all turn on me when it best suits you?  
_  
Lucki scoffed, would have snarled if he could have _Unlike you, sorceress, we have honor_. He paused; _Let us confess to them what is really going on here. I’ll secure your safety from my kind.  
_  
The entire inside of the mind was quiet, silent. Lady Bane did not give her captive a reply though she did not outright protest the idea as she had been at the beginning either. Lucki waited for a time before he realized that she was not going to give him an answer just yet. She did not strive to control the body either. In fact, she seemed to cave into the weariness of the body, accepting the current stillness as a time for her to rest as well. Lucki had to admit that he was just as drained. Fighting on the spiritual realm was exhausting. Fighting to expel one like Emi was completely draining. Despite her threats and yells, Lady Bane had not been exerting much force over his body either. She was worn, just as he was. She still had that air of anger, frustration, disgust about her. Yet, she did not flat out protest anything he had said or suggested, not anymore.  
It was not the same as an agreement but it was something. Any step in the right direction with her was a victory. She was stuck in his body for now. She had no desire to die, just as he had no desire to die and with Emi knowing about him and her, they were both at risk. Lucki shuddered to think what Emi was planning. Why was she intervening with him? What purpose did she have? The very idea petrified him. Plus, how could they be sure she was not listening in right now? They had managed to expel her but how solid was that if she could reach out from even her prison on the metaphysical plane?!  
  
 _Fine, little bear. We will make amends with your…family…for now._ Lucki could practically feel the revulsion spilling off her at the idea but it seemed his thoughts on Emi, on the possibilities had finally reared triumphant over her desire for a sneak attack. He did not doubt that she had every intention of betraying him the first chance she got. He was no fool. But, currently, she was at an impasse. She could not continue with her current plan with Emi threatening them both. Likewise, she could not abandon his body, for whatever reason.  So, luckily for him, she was not so stubborn that she would damn herself. She needed a way out and that included cooperating with him, at least for the moment.

_Good enough._   
  


* * *

  
**_Gummadoon Halls_**  
Ecri and Blastus walked, side by side down the halls, though they were hardly silent. Anyone passing by could only guess at their conversation though as it was spoken entirely in French. There was a hush to their words, spoken softly, quietly as they walked. Ecri carried a stack of notes in his hands and Blastus carried another handful of books and papers. Anyone passing by could see that their talk was serious and indeed focused on the task at hand but there was an openness between them that had been deeply missed. It was difficult to describe in words but it seemed that an aura of trust had settled upon them even as the hour became to grow late.  
  
“<So, I believe the Gummadoon Staff was a partial key>” Ecri relayed to his old mentor. “<If my timing calculation is correct, in any event>”  
  
Blastus gave a firm nod, “<It seems to line up with everything else, Ecri>” the knight gave a smile, just so relieved that his lost one was communicating with him again! Oh, what a relief it had been to hear his tears, to feel those tensed muscles give and to see one so hurting give into an accepted comfort! In a time of fear, of deep concern, this brought a smile to his heart. When Ecri had been small, he had been the shy, sensitive one, the one that usually did not reject tears or coming to Blastus with his problems. However, teenage years and a strong desire to prove himself (though there was no need) had pushed a strong pride onto him. The death of his parents had not helped and when his brother was lost, that had seemed to nail his mask shut.   
  
Gum forgive him for not pushing sooner but the important thing was that Ecri had finally spoken to him. He had wept over lost ones. He had screeched at the unfairness of it all. He had cursed himself aloud but had gone silent and accepted Blastus’ reassurances, accepted the strong shoulder to support his pain. That heavy burden of pain, of anger, of misplaced guilt had been lifted. While there were still deep scars upon Ecri’s heart, they had been exposed to the air! They could now heal!  
  
Blastus was also rightly stunned at how much his former squire had uncovered! Ecri had always been a smart one. That had not dulled over the years. “<It will help us determine how much time we have at least. You may have given us the timeline we’ve been needing!>” Blastus spoke nothing but truth in that! He had never thought about the Gummadoon Staff but when Ecri mentioned what he had uncovered, he realized the connection was too strong to merely be coincidence.   
  
Ecri eyed his mentor, cynical of the praise and replied, softly.“<I could have given it to you sooner.>” He didn’t like to admit being wrong but after speaking with his mentor, he came to the conclusion that Blastus was right. Blastus usually was so he was not surprised in the least by that development. All the same, it created a sense of frustration, of failure in his heart. All that time, while he had acquired good information, what could he have shared? Could he have cost them valuable time? _“_ _"_ _  
  
_Blastus put his free hand on Ecri’s shoulder, _“ <_Ecri, what did I always tell you about focusing on past mistakes?> _”_  
  
Nodding, Ecri repeated, “<Focus only long enough to see the lesson, not so long that you burn your eyes.>”  
  
Blastus gave an affirmative nod, “<So, let’s not focus on it now. We have new information, we have new leads. We should head back to the council chambers and let our comrades know!>” He smiled, gently, “<They will welcome any leads and you may have given us one of the best. We are discovering a lot about Emi but not nearly as much on the prison itself.>”  
  
Ecri paused in his step as they walked, causing his mentor to give pause. Ecri had not responded to his latest inquiry and statement so he turned and asked, “<Ecri?>”  
  
The purple knight had set his eyes up the stairwell that led to the Gummiscope “<You said that Corvi stated he had seen Emi? That she had killed Gustav?>”  
  
Blastus nodded, feeling his heart ache again for his squire. The poor child. He needed to get done what needed to be done in the council chamber and as soon as he was able, he needed to speak with the boy. There was something else, something deeper. Blastus could see it in Corvi’s eyes, in his body language. It made Blastus feel uneasy. Corvi was a strong kid, he had always been so but with so much hurt thrown on him, dear Gum, how much was one person capable of taking on? Corvi was prideful and tried to put up a hard face but he needed to let down that wall and grieve. It was vital. “<Yes. That’s what he reported to us. When I left the chamber, they were discussing investigating Lady Bane’s castle for possible connections. According to what Corvi overheard, Emi frequented it.>”  
  
Frowning, Ecri inquired, “<Have we heard from Lady Cressi? I sent a message to her, asking to talk to her because of Morri’s odd behavior. If this memory was repressed, as you say Corvi said it was, then she should be informed.>” He  eyed his mentor. “<Corvi may need his mother and frankly, Lady Cressi’s knowledge of Old Gummi could be useful.>”  
  
Blastus nodded, “<I agree. I don’t believe we’ve received any messages from her but frankly, I haven’t had a chance to check.>"  
  
Ecri gave a jostle of the head in kind, “<Let me check quickly and I’ll meet you in the Council Chamber.>” he paused, gave his mentor a smile, a small one but a smile nonetheless. "I promise."  
  
Blastus gave him a nod in response as the younger bear hurried up the stairs. If there had been any messages received throughout the daylight, they would still be present. As for himself, he needed to hurry back and tell his brothers about Ecri’s discoveries! The Gummadoon Staff being a key was a huge step in the right direction! He could give a small bits of information prior to Ecri’s arrival as well as have some good news for a change regarding his old squire! It would do well to repair their hurting heart.  
  
The information was also invaluable. It gave them some insight to the prison that Emi was frequenting but it also told Blastus that their time was short. If the magic was wearing thin then they would need to be quick and discover how to replace the seal. If they could figure out a timeline then all the better! Timelines usually had a means of telling how something had been created. While not a lot was known on Emi’s prison, there was much more known on the Gummadoon Staff. They might be able to use this information backwards to learn about the prison!  
  
Rushing down the hall, Blastus noted the darkened sky; when had the time slipped so far away? He hoped that some success and answers had been discovered in his absence!  
  
  
Ecri hurried to the Gummiscope’s platform. He needed to be with Blastus when the news was given; he had to provide as much information as possible. He only hoped that his family of knights could forgive him for being so isolative and foolish. Blastus had reassured him and he admitted that such an act generated an almost forgotten sense of belonging and acceptance but all the same, he hoped his delay had not been too costly for them. Hearing what they had learned from Corvi made the young knight shudder. Dear Gum, to see one’s own father killed in front of them. At that time, when little Cori was born, Corvi would have been Toni and Cubbi’s age. To have that memory suddenly thrust back into the forefront of your mind…  
  
Lady Cressi needed to return! Aside from the fact that her children needed her desperately now, the apparent use of Old Gummi had been found to be frequent in uncovering Emi Gummi’s secrets. Lady Cressi was well known not only throughout Gummadoon but among a great number of the gummi cities as being one of the few remaining who were fluent in the Old Gummi tongue. Much of their elders knew the language on a scholarly level. While this was certainly to be respected, it was quite different than having someone who spoke it by heart. Those people could know all the little intricacies of the language. Case in point, almost all of Blastus’ trainees grew up becoming fluent in French, picking up slang and phrases that no book could teach you. Ecri remembered well the first time he had snapped back at Blastus a phrase he had picked up from the knight. Blastus had turned swiftly to his serious tone and told him that such desrespect was not to be used towards anyone. Ecri had inquired why Blastus had used it in reference to Ramsei and that had been the end of it. Though, he had been much more careful with his wording.  
  
The point was that Emi Gummi had spoken Old Gummi as her primary tongue. If they were to uncover what had happened, if they were to uncover what she was planning, they NEEDED Old Gummi.  
  
Ecri was relieved to find a message awaiting him on the scope. It seemed to have been delivered a little bit ago but still recent enough that something might be done at the morning’s first light. Taking a breath, the knight investigated the message only to find an odd pressure settle over his heart. It certainly was not the reply he had expected. He truthfully did not know what to make of it however. It was not bad news but it certainly contrasted with what Corvi had been telling them, at least from what Ecri could ascertain.  
  
It read- “ **We have not heard or seen Lady Cressi in several weeks. Our last correspondence with her indicated she had fallen ill. Perhaps seek out nearby healers? Do keep us informed on her status**.”  
  
Ecri frowned. So, Cressi was not at Ursalia and indeed, it seemed she had not been there for weeks. Ecri remembered that she had gone to Ursalia not long after Gummadoon was stable again, helping some of their librarians translating some of the old texts. She had fallen ill about a week before all this mess started. Yet, Corvi had insisted that she had gone to Ursalia. Had she gone and left? No, no, as busy as Ursalia was now, someone would have seen her and reported it as such. Everyone in Ursalia knew Lady Cressi.  
  
This was disturbing.  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
Thus far, they had gotten some things achieved.  
  
Cubbi was still leading the meeting for the most part, enough that he did not even worry about how his reading sounded. In fact, he barely even noticed when one of the adults corrected his pronunciation and even when it was a long word, he pushed through, sounding it out. If he had not been so focused on the subject at hand, he would have caught the small half smile of pride on his mentor’s face. He was not focused on how he sounded or looked though, simply on getting the information as quickly as they could. With all the adults there, those mystery words quickly became known and while they did not achieve as much as they would have wanted, they had some leads. Namely, they seemed to uncover a lot of information on the prison designed for Emi though which was a huge advantage.  
  
Plucki raised his hand for silence and as always, he received it. He turned to his squire, “Is there anything else, Cubbi?”  
  
The cub set his eyes on the magical book, frowning, “Uh uh. That’s the end of the section on that tapestry.” He sighed deeply. He had been hoping there would be more. It wasn’t that what was there was not useful but he found that there still was not a lot of information on ways to reinforce the prison nor any more information on Emi in general. Cubbi hoped and strove to be able to defeat and keep his loved ones safe from Emi but he also knew deep in his bones that the chance of her escaping was becoming more and more real.  
  
Sir Plucki nodded, “Alright, let’s go over what we do know then, lad.”  
  
Cubbi nodded, turned, addressed the room, again, feeling not so much on the spot but empowered. “Okay, so the tapestry, I guess, said that prison has a lot of different exits but only the main one is locked. ‘Cause she won’t be able to pass through the others while there’s hate in her.” He eyed Plucki, “Said the prison is emp-empa—“ He groaned in frustration when the word escaped his memory but Sir Gumlittle, while still looking haunted and heart broken, managed a soft chuckle of encouragement.  
  
“Empathic?”  
  
Cubbi nodded, “Right. So it won’t let her out those other exits unless that anger and stuff is gone. So the tapestry had these pictures woven into it that showed what the other exits were. Guess they’re all over the place and that their important “gummi hearts.” The cub frowned, “Though I _Still_ dunno exactly what THAT means.” He frowned again, deeper, “But guess you can’t seal all the exits that way. So, her reachin’ out and stuff means that whatever they used to seal the main exit is fading.” He eyed Plucki, “I mean, that’s how I understood it.”  
  
Plucki gave a smile to his squire and squeezed his shoulder, “As did I, young squire. You did well.”  
  
Despite the gravity of the situation, it felt good to hear the praise and Cubbi gave his mentor a nod. He wanted to smile but it felt so wrong right now, even if some of the adults were managing it. He did catch the proud smiles from Gruffi and Zummi when he had been reading. No time to dwell on that now. So, instead, he directed his attention to the Council, well, the remaining council. Sir Gumlittle and Wooddale had left a bit ago when Tavi came rushing in and while Sir Gumlittle had come back, Wooddale had not.   
  
Nonetheless, they had to carry on so the young squire instead sent his attention towards Councilor Berrybottom, “Can magic do that? Turn emotion into a lock or somethin’?”  
Berrybottom paused a moment before he nodded in reply, “Yes, young one. It is quite complicated to actually incorporate it into a spell but emotion, in many ways, is the lifeblood of magic.”  
  
“Life…blood?”  
  
Plucki spoke out, “Life blood is a way of saying that in some ways emotions creates magic.”   
  
Councilor Flurryfeather spoke out, “Well spoken, Captain. It is how we gummies first began to explore magic—to repeat the glorious feelings of happiness, of joy, of excitement. Emotion fuels us! It was only much later that we started to use it for defense. Before then, it was to cancel out negative with positive. Joy to replace sadness, calm to replace anger and so on. We only started to branch out into other arenas when we needed to start to defend ourselves.”  
  
Zummi spoke out, “Yes, that is where the medallions came in, to avent pbuse—er, prevent abuse.”  
  
The room seemed to nod in agreement and while Cubbi was glad for the clarification, he still had to inquire, “So, now, we’re left with the big exit though. Why is it suddenly failin’?”  
  
Before anyone could reply, Sir Blastus returned, though it was clear he was distressed and would much rather be somewhere else. Cubbi guessed that he wanted to be with Corvi. He could not blame him. Grammi still hadn’t returned so he figured she was trying to help Corvi. He really hoped that Grammi managed to work her magic with him but if Blastus’ stressed face was any indication, not as much progress had been made as they hoped. Still, as much as he wanted to fix that, he had to focus on what he could do right now.  
  
“Sir Blastus-“  
  
“Apologies, mon Capitain.” Blastus responded, though he addressed only his brothers, not the room. “I believe we have made some progress. Soon as he gets here—“ he turned and looked over his shoulder and sure enough, within a few minutes, who should enter but Sir Ecri! He still looked a wreck to Cubbi but there was definitely something different about him, maybe in his eyes? It was so weird to see him in the light though! Cubbi didn’t really recall having seen him in the light for a while! He always stuck to the shadows, to the darkened rooms. He looked horrible! Thin, weary…sick almost.  
  
“Sir Ecri…” Plucki took a moment to gather his breath, so stunned was he to see the knight again!  
  
“Captain,” Ecri finally spoke, bowing his head, “I…apologize for not being…as involved as I should have been. My absence was…inexcusable but…I ask your forgiveness…all the same.”  
  
Cubbi stared at Plucki as the Captain stepped forward and clasped the knight’s hands tight in his own, “Inexcusable, no, I would not call it such, Ecri. Understandable but worrisome, yes but not inexcusable. There is no forgiveness needed for me to extend.” He smiled at Ecri, so thrilled to hear him speak again! He would have felt better to see the knight looking better but this was improvement from before! Indeed, Plucki could hear murmuring about the room, all expressing the same sentiment as him—relief at their lost one back again!  
  
“Sir Blastus has informed me of what you have learned thus far and I believe I have discovered some things of my own regarding Emi’s prison, as well as some disturbing news.” He eyed Blastus in particular, “Lady Cressi has not been to Ursalia, Blastus. They have not seen her for weeks. We will need to find out what is going on from Corvi. Lady Cressi is many things but not a liar. If she was going somewhere else, she would have said such. I know young Corvi is not thought of as a liar either but there is untruth somewhere.”  
Blastus’ face turned dark, not angry per say but there was a seriousness there that few ever saw. Ecri took that as a promise that as soon as he could, it would be addressed. As much as he wished to find out NOW, that was not an option. His best option was to share what he knew so they could come up with a plan of action so Blastus could investigate. And then, perhaps, they could allow some of the younger ones to sleep. Cubbi, despite his energy, was starting to tremble, if only slightly. He  was running on pure adrenaline and despite his desire to help, his body would only hold out so long. He knew from Blastus that as it was, the cub had only managed a few hours sleep when they had informed the council of Merlinni’s book. Now, it had nearly been another day! Few adults could power on that long, especially with so much emotion pouring in the atmosphere. This needed to reach a breathing point soon!  
  
Turning back to face the whole room, Ecri spoke out, “I believe that you have uncovered there is a key locking Emi’s prison.”  
  
“Yes, on the main entrance.” Councilor Berrybottom remarked. He quickly informed the missing knight of what they had discovered about the additional exits, before inquiring, “You believe you have information on the key to the main exit, young knight?”  
  
Ecri nodded firmly, “The Gummadoon Staff.”  
  
Silence literally surrounded the room. Ecri took a breath and elaborated, “Magic takes time to dissipate if interrupted unexpectedly, correct, depending on the depth of the spell?”  
“…Yes,” Councilor Spinwillow finally spoke out, “Yes, it can take hours to months, depending.”  
  
“Months ago, the Gummadoon Staff was destroyed. A staff that was deemed cursed for having been so tainted with negative energy. Now, mere months after its destruction, Emi’s prison appears to be disintegrating. Not much was known about the staff except that it seemed to be full of negative power. If my history lessons are correct and if the research I encountered is right, then negative energy was bound into the staff. Is it possible that its existence was keeping the spell sealed and now with it gone, that seal is slowly disappearing?” Ecri spoke slowly and evenly but one could hear the doubt, the fear in his tone.   
  
Many whispers, shouts and chants rose up, with most of them bordering on panic. Sir Plucki whistled sharply through his teeth, making the room fall still. When he spoke out, his voice was deep, commanding and one that Cubbi could not help but stare at, “Enough! Panicking will do us little good, gummies! We gathered here to receive answers and we are receiving them, in abundance. We have evidence that there is knowledge on Emi at Lady Bane’s palace. We will develop teams to investigate that. We have evidence that the main entrance to her prison is of utmost importance. Magicians, you should investigate that and see what can be done to strengthen it. I suspect looking into how the Staff itself worked. Are we in agreement on those items?”  
  
The room expressed an affirmative nod.  
  
Councilor Berrybottom spoke out, “Alright, let us look at these one at a time. The Staff…”  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Tavi’s Dream_**  
“You know where Concordia is?”  
  
Tavi’s words were rushed, scrambled and desperate. As it was, she was near tears at the ghost’s feet. “I do, child and as I said, there is a journey involved. You must prove your worth for it with bravery.”  
  
Nodding firmly, “I’ll do anything to help my brother!” the young girl meant that with every fiber of her being. She was going to save her brother. There was no way that he was going to die, not a second death, not an eternal death, none of that! Not while she had breath in her at any rate! No way! “Just tell me where!”  
  
“Concordia is within the bowels of Gummi Glen.” The ghost said softly, “Deep within the forbidden halls. Not far from the prison you seek to find and strengthen.”  
  
Tavi blinked, “Why put it so close to her? She could use it!”  
  
Destini shook her head, “Why do you believe she has not yet broken free? Concordia frightens even her but your brother’s need of it is dire. As it stands, your comrades are close to sealing her permanently.”  
  
“How do I get there?” she demanded. “Tell me!” While she was concerned about Emi, she was not of the utmost importance right now. All she needed to know what that Concordia was near so she would need to be careful. Fine. Now how to get to it. She needed to know. She would grab her things and go right now!  
  
“Hush. You must go beyond the library, to where the walls seem to end. There, you will find an entrance, hidden in the wood. Follow it. Concordia calls out to those in need of it. You shall know when you are near.”  
  
Tavi awoke with a start, panting. She felt groggy; like her legs were heavy but her heart was wide awake. Thank Gum for Destini! Her brother wasn’t going to die! No. There was an answer and now she knew how to get to it. Well, partially anyway. She knew the Glen was big but she would search it top and bottom if she had to. Jumping up, she pulled on some shoes, not even bothering to change out of the night gown she was in (her aunt’s doing she was sure) and rushed out of the room, pausing only to look at her still brother. “Don’t worry Lucki. Your little sister is gonna save you.”  
  
Now…how to get to Gummi Glen…  
  


* * *

  
 ** _Gummadoon Kitchen_**  
Corvi padded down Gummadoon’s halls with not much expression on his face. He really didn’t feel like showing any emotion, good or bad. What was the point? As it stood, he was so emotionally drained, he doubted that he could have expressed anger if he wanted to. He just wanted…he wanted this to be over. He wanted it done. He wanted to crawl into a dark hole and never come out. He wanted to sob and cry and wail until his throat tore. He could not. Despite everything falling apart around him, he could not.  
  
On his way to the kitchen, he had stopped by his brothers’ room for the time being. Morri looked so tired and scared. He told him how his play dates with Panni were going and it scared Corvi. No cub should play like that, no cub should request stories like that and yet his little brother was. Then, he heard how all Cori’s toys were “sad” now. That also wasn’t right. No three year old’s toys should be sad. They should be mischievous and playful and joyful! Then, then on top of all that, Morri asked about Mother. And Father. His questions were innocent enough but Gum, why now?  
  
Was Mother in pain anymore? Of course not, he told him.  
  
Was she with Father? Definitely, Corvi had reassured him.  
  
What about Bigger Brother? Tori, right? Corvi had told Morri that yes, their eldest brother was with them for certain.  
  
Could they see us? Feel us? Would he see them in his dreams sometimes? What was Tori like? How did he die? Did he look like Mother when he died? Was he in pain? Did he get sick like Mother? Was Corvi or Cori going to get sick too?  
  
Corvi answered them all as best he could, including holding his brother close when he started to whine and cry about missing Mother. But, Gum, it was so hard. He just wanted to sob himself but he couldn’t. He had to stay strong for Morri. What would it do to Morri if he suddenly broke down into tears? What about Cori? No, he had no choice but to answer those questions, one after another until his brother wore himself out and went back to bed, though not after requesting another question be answered, asking “Where do our souls go? Do they die too?”  
  
That one hit hard and Corvi had only managed a “No, they don’t die” and thankfully, Morri accepted that. But as he laid his brother down, tucked him in and checked on his youngest brother, the image of his best friend came back to his mind. Dying. Again. Not like before though, an eternal death. He would never…ever…see him again. His personality, that gentle spirit…just gone forever. Then, there was the nature of his mother. She was gone and despite how he tried, he was not his mother. He was doing what he could but he could not undo death for his little brothers. So much death they’d seen. So much death…  
  
He couldn’t make his mother come back. Nor his father, nor his eldest brother. Just like he could not save Lucki. He was so useless. All he could do was stand by and watch death pick off his loved ones, one by one. He was always there, to watch them die and be useless and helpless to stop it. First, Tori, when he had been only a little younger than Morri himself. He had come in to check on him, not understood why Tori did not move. Shook him, found him cold and hard. Stood there when his mother collapsed in tears and cursed the healers. Watched his father’s hard outer wall melt and the knight crumble.  
  
Then, when Father…he had laid there, in the cornfields like a coward. Never mind that Father told him to. Never mind that he had lost against the worst threat imaginable to any gummi. The fact remained that he had not tried to help. He had laid there when his father’s blood splattered all over his face. He had seen his father’s chest stop rising and falling. Surely, he could have done something! Worse yet, when that horrible gummi woman had vanished, he had ran. He had not tried to help his father nor protect his body but ran. He ran like a coward.  
  
Then, Lucki…poor Lucki. He had looked so petrified, even with his eyes brushed shut when they carried him in from the battlefield. He had tried to claw his way over, screaming it was a lie, that it was not true. Blastus had pulled him back, held him firm. He had screamed, cursed, yelled, threatened, tried to kick and push his way over, screaming all the while about how his best friend could not be dead. And now…now, he was back but…not to stay. He would die, again. But this time with no peace awaiting him.  
  
And Mother…dear Gum, forgive him! He should have pressed. He should have forced a healer on her. He should have stayed by her side. If he had been in the room, he would have noticed her breathing. Maybe he could have stopped her death. All his family, all he ever did was watch them die or find them dead! He was cursed, it seemed. To bring death to those he cared about. He didn’t want to see it anymore. Just, please, someone make it stop. Make the pain stop, make the pounding in his head stop, make his stomach stop.  
  
Corvi pushed his way into Gummadoon’s side kitchen, blinking slightly when a weary Toni sat up. “Corv? Didn’t you go into the meeting?”  
  
“Yes,” Corvi’s tone was mechanical as he walked past Toni and into the pantry. The young cub followed him, quietly. “Why are you still up? If you aren’t in the meeting, Gumlittle would want you sleeping, like Martinni and Flynn.”  
  
Toni scoffed, watching the teen look through the shelves of baskets and bottles. “I wanna find out as soon as they come out. I’d just go in there if I had anythin’ to add.” He frowned, watching the blond teen carefully. The older cub took a bottle off the shelf studied it intently, like he’d never seen it before. Toni had. It was Gummiberry brandy. The adults sometimes drank it when they were celebrating but it had weird effects on cubs. Said it made them super sick or something because their bodies couldn’t process it right or something. Said it was something you got on your eighteenth year because your body could handle it now. But Toni had only seen Gumlittle drink a cup of it once.  
  
“Corv? That’s gummiberry brandy.”  
  
The teen took a second and third bottle of it and just sank to the floor, like he was out of energy. Then, then he just popped the cork and drank it! Obedient Corvi was drinking gummiberry brandy! No, not just drinking it, downing it! Like, gulping it! He drank half of the bottle before he said, “Yep.” His eyes never met Toni’s but the blue cub was officially freaked out. Since when did Corvi act like this? This was something even HE wouldn’t have tried and there was not a lot that went into that category.  
  
As for Corvi, the brandy burned going down, like gulping fire a bit but it worked fast. It made him feel a little giddy, a bit weird but it was dulling that emotional ache. He knew Toni was there, asking him something but he was barely listening. No point. No point in listening. No point. Just make the pain stop. That was all he wanted. Nothing he did ever fixed anything and he could not handle this. He could not. He wanted to, wanted to so badly but he could not. There was nothing he could…  
  
“Corvi!”  
  
He turned then, seeing Toni still standing there, mouth open like a fish. Corvi looked to the bottle in his hand, took another swig, forcing the last of it down. Setting the empty bottle down, he grasped the second bottle, repeating the process. He was sure Toni was yelling at him but right at that point, he was feeling his senses continue to dull. The more he drank, the more they dulled. He thought he felt Toni try to yank at him, to get him off the floor but he pushed the boy away, winding up face first for his efforts but he didn’t drop the bottle. Just down a little more and then the pain won’t be there. Yep, just…  
  
Toni, feeling frightened and in an odd way, left the teen there, face down on the floor of the pantry and ran for the council chamber.   
  
Corvi uncorked the third. Just a little more. That was all. He had gotten three because that was all he needed. Truth be told, one probably would have done it but he wanted to be sure. No more pain, just for a little bit. He was sure he was going to regret this later when the side effects hit but…  
  
Wait, did Toni just run out?   
  
He was going to tell the adults, wasn’t he? Gum, what was he thinking? He could shooed Toni out or waited or…  
  
Corvi set the half empty bottle down, buried his face in the ground and murmured, “Blastus is gonna…kill…me…”  
  


* * *

  
  
Toni experienced some difficulty getting into the council chamber because he was not one of the ones invited in. He had not been well informed enough and while that had initially irritated him, he had finally settled for the fact he was going to have to wait. The kitchen was tedious but it was also the closest so he would have answers the soonest from there. It was mind numbingly boring but then Corvi had come in and well, then it had been anything but boring. In fact, it scared him. The look in Corvi’s eyes, his tone…all of it!  
  
Finally fed up with the guard patrolling the door, Toni delivered a well-placed kick to the center of the shin and ducked under the knight’s grip and pushed through the doors. The guards on the inside swiftly protested his entry but stopped swiftly, when he announced his reasoning, “Blastus, you better come quick. I dunno what’s wrong with Corvi but he’s freakin’ me out!”


	37. Chapter 37

**_Gummadoon Kitchen_**  
  Corvi should have heard the doors opening, the pounding of feet. But, at the moment, he was far beyond caring. After a brief burst of feeling guilty, horrible and that he was in-so-much-trouble, he had found his mind slipping again. It was a weird feeling. He could still see everything fine. Well, as much as one could with their long hair hanging in their face. He'd pushed his way back to a semi-sitting position and eyed the nearly empty bottle still clutched in his hand. Shrugging, he took another swallow of it. It burned a lot less now.

  
   The door crashed open at that point and it took a moment before the sound of adults reached his ears. They were loud. Heh, they sounded like fireworks going off. The sudden image of sparkling firecrackers sticking out of their muzzles like duck bills caused a fit of laughter to take him.  
  
  "<Corvus Randus Gummi, what in Gum's name are you doing?>" Oh, Blastus was pissed. His rapid French sounded even weirder when he was angry. Like a bunch of ants singing soprano. That was funny too! Corvi lowered his head and he laughed again, before finally parting his long hair like a curtain to look at his visitors. Yeah, like a curtain...during an opera...with a bunch of ants with fireworks on their faces! That was great!  
  
  Corvi's investigators were none other than Sir Blastus, Sir Ramsei and Sir Plucki. Sounded like there were some other gummies running in too. Normally, this fact, combined with the fact that he had just been found half sprawled on the floor of one of their pantries with nearly three bottles of Gummiberry brandy gone, would have been enough to make him beg forgiveness, plead for understanding and cry. But at the moment, he was, to be frank, beyond reasoning.  
  
  "Sir Blastus, tu simili beaucoup pétards-billed ants! Dassu! Je l'ai! Je l'ai! Dissumulo, d'accord? Vous are a anas-seeu?"(Sir Blastus, you look a lot like a firework-billed ant! Singing! I got it, I got it! Disguises, right? Are you a kind of duck?)  
  
  The group stared at him for a long moment before Blastus knelt down next to him, saying as an aside to his brother Plucki, "Oh, he's gone." He picked up the empty gummiberry brandy bottle, counting aloud "Un, deux...trois? Really, Corvi?"  
  
Ramsei turned to Plucki, "This is absurd! We have enough to deal with and now we have to deal with such irrespon--"  
  
  "Ramsei, shut up!" Blastus cut into the conversation before his brother could reply, "We KNOW that! You think Corvi is normally the type to do this? Gum...I knew there was something else going on...I should have pushed it..." What could have pushed his Corvi so far? He should have INSISTED he tell him THEN. He should not have allowed him to put it off. Spilled milk, no point in fretting over it. He needed to help his squire now, not focus on the past.   
  
  "Praetereō! Crebo! Crebo! Jasli! Jasli!" (Push on through! One after the other, one after the other! Again! Again!) Corvi laughed again and pulled his hair in front of his face, saying, "Evanui! (Disappear) Then show up again!" He then broke into another fit of laughter.   
  
  Plucki cleared his throat, stepped forward, grasping Corvi's left arm as Blastus rose with a strong grip on his right. "Alright, lad. We can sort out what drove you to this ridiculous act later. To bed with you now."  
  
  "To bed to bed! Somniculose, nous saltare! D'un air endormi, D'morte endormes! Suuca she sleeps absens! Come back, come back a moi!" (To sleep we go, like air I sleep, like death she sleeps. Under, she sleeps away. Come back to me.)  
  
  Blastus bit his lip, more than a little worried. There it was. That talk of death again. True, it might have spoken by a squire who was hardly in control of himself at the moment but it was still concerning. Blastus eyed Ramsei, who while still maintaining a look of frustration now also carried that gaze of worry. As frustrated as this situation was, he was forced to admit that Blastus was right. Corvi was their responsible one. He was the one always keeping the other squires in line. Most of the time, it was like having an additional knight around! So...yes, Ramsei had to admit, now that his reactive anger had passed, he was indeed worried.  
  
  "Come." Plucki's gentle but forceful command rang out again as he and Blastus steered the squire from the room, towards the stairs. Corvi stumbled and laughed and nearly fell twice, laughing all the while.  
  
  "Et it's sursum deorsum! Terre-à-terre! If the tiles had sabot, nous be unicorns, d'accord? Bellus, insons, dulcis. Comme enfantin!" (And it's up and down, down to earth! If the tiles(of the floor) had hooves, they'd be unicorns, right? Pretty, innocent, sweet. Like childlike!)  
  
  Blastus and Plucki exchanged nervous glances over the boy's head. It wasn't that they had never seen a gummi drunk. It just...well, it happened so rarely and usually it happened on two occasions. Celebrating the coming birth of a child or when the cub finally turned 18 and had their first try of the stuff. Gummiberry brandy was pretty potent, as their drinks went (given they did not have many alcoholic types) so the fact that Corvi had downed three of them...what on earth could have pushed this cub so far? Even with the news of his father...this was beyond anything they ever imagined.  
  
  "Danse avec moi, Blastie?" Corvi asked again, though he was at least slowing down. (Dance with me) They'd managed up the stairs without him making much fuss or statements at all. One thing that was nice about gummiberry brandy, its effects were fast. Corvi was going to be utterly miserable once they wore off but they were fast.   
  Allowing a smile, despite his worry, Blastus shook his head. When Corvi was little, very little, he used to grab Blastus' hands, ask that the knight dance with him like he always saw the adults doing. "Non, little one." He answered as he and Plucki made their way with a very drunken squire to the boy's chambers. "Now is time to rest."  
  
  "Reste..." (Rest) Corvi laid down when prompted, the other effects of the brandy, namely the sleepiness, taking effect rapidly. "Icute my hair, Blastus?" (Stroke) he managed, "Comme Mama used to?"(Like Mama used to)  
  
  Blastus frowned, "Used to?"  
  
  Corvi closed his eyes, "Mama n'fait pas soolpa." (Mama can't do it anymore)  
  
  By the time they got the teen to his room, he couldn't walk and was barely awake. When they lay his head upon the soft pillow of his bed, Corvi Gummi was completely zonked.  
  
  Sir Plucki shook his head as the kid began to snore. "Of all the times... You know as well as I that, without Lady Cressi, her son is the best translator we have."  
  
  "Oui, mon Capitan, but... mon dieu. The repressed memory surfacing, the talk of death, the absent mother, and you know how he looks after his brothers. And now a drunken haze? I suppose even Corvi has his breaking point. I truly should have kept him cornered earlier, had him talk it out, before he went to such extremes. I feel myself to blame as much as my squire, Sir Plucki." Blastus hung his head.  
  
  "Well, there's not to do about it for now; at least as far as Corvi is concerned. Any Old Gummi will have to be translated slowly or on the morrow. And," He stepped near, lay a hand on his knight-brother's shoulder. "I know you've just got Ecri back somehow but you should stay here with Corvi, rest while he rests, and tell us as soon as he's fit. In the meantime, we'll plan our course."  
  
  "Merci, Plucki. We may be the adults but they have all the stamina." Blastus said, settling into a chair near the bed.  
  
  Sir Plucki snorted a laugh and glanced at the now loudly snoring Corvi. "Not all of it." With a nod to his brother-in-arms, the Gummadoon Knight-Captan turned and headed quickly back to the warded Council Chambers.  
  
  And when he'd returned, all of Cubbi's Glen kin were rallied around him, talking to him. He was animate with a happy face and excited gestures, but two yawns in a row had Sir Plucki walking over to break up the talk.  
  
  "We are indebted to the assistance and knowledge you've imparted to us, and of course we have refreshments and rooms for each of you. Please follow Sir Aendi and we'll see you in the morning."  
  
  As he spoke with authority, knowledge, and compassion, they thought nothing against following his suggestion. When Cubbi meant to follow after them, Sir Plucki lay a hand on his shoulder to stay him.  
  
  "Aw, Plucki, I just--"  
  
  "Need to rest. We need you tomorrow, and that means you need to get in a few hours sleep at least. That book doesn't seem to want to speak to anyone else but you. It's vital that you're alert and ready for anything."  
  
  Cubbi sighed in frustration but it turned into a giant yawn and he could no longer protest. "Alright. You win. But just a few hours. You should, too, ya know. We need our Captain."  
  
  Plucki smiled paternally at the retreating back of his squire. "I know. It's on my to-do list."  
  
  "Hey, Cub! Wait up!" Toni called, jogging past the Gummadoon Captain to catch up to the pink-furred Cubbi. "Yer never gonna believe it but Corvi just got himself plastered!"  
  
  And Plucki found himself rolling his eyes. Of all the news to pass on... Not only was Corvi going to wake with many nasty ailments -- vomiting, dizziness, vertigo, a roiling stomach, intense headaches -- but he was quickly becoming the gossip of the hour.   
  
  He thought of putting a stop to their newsmongering but decided against it. He was tired. Let them talk of things other than mortal peril for once.   
  
  Speaking of mortal peril... On his way to a cot, he decided to peek in at Lucki. He was shocked to find the lad attempting to sit up!  
  
  Rushing in to lend as gentle a hand as he could, Sir Plucki chastized him immediately. "Lucki, you should be resting. In your condition--"  
  
  "No time." the cub groaned as he was righted. "Get me up, on my feet, or carry me. Don't care." He grunted under the strain and pain of so much havoc to his failing body. "Sir Plucki, we have important news for the Council and... and for you." he got out through the pain.  
  
  We? That mystified him a bit but if it was pertinant enough that Lucki couldn't rest until it was told, then it may well be that important. Plucki scooped up the green-furred Lucki as gently as possible and hurried to the council chambers where the others were. However, as he drew near the doors, Lucki's frail grip on his arm squeezed tight enough to cause the Gummadoon knight-captain pain.  
  
  "Stop. Stop, stop!" Lucki was yelling with a strength the knight-captain hadn't thought the boy possessed.  
  
  "What? Why?" he demanded with equal strength.  
  
  And then Lucki's eyes, always so gentle, turned on him with a burning fire, a hatred, that at first startled Sir Plucki, made him think he was seeing things. The lad's voice, however, made it impossible to doubt the absolute change in his entire being as he said, "Because, you idiot bear, the entire room is warded  to prevent unwarranted and harmful magic of ALL types and I happen to still be in here. Take me somewhere else; and summon those old bags of fur. I have important news for you all."

* * *

  
    
**_Outer Gummadoon Halls_**  
    
  Cubbi's yawns were getting longer and louder as he neared his room but Toni wasn't getting the hint. Though he was shocked to hear Corvi of all gummies had gotten drunk, he was pretty worn and really just wanted to crawl into bed.  
  
  "And, boy, you should have seen him, Cub. It was scary-weird! I know he's been through a lot of stuff lately but..." Toni just shook his head. "My mom was possessed and tried to kill me, and I tried to kill myself! And not even that drove me to drink. I dunno whether to think I have more will power or just that I didn't think of it first." He shot his friend a nervous smirk, unsure if it was too soon to make fun of such things. Honestly, it was one of the few ways -- aside from being with Gummie -- that helped get over that sick week. And Cubbi never teased or brought it up at all; probably because he understood better than most what it was like to be possessed.   
  
  The dark-blue squire fell silent suddenly as they walked, wondering if it was time. Time to see if he could go and look at his mother yet; look at her and not feel afraid of being around her, not feel like a disappointment to her, no matter how foolish such thoughts may be. That's what Sir Gumlittle told him, but still... Getting himself to believe that was slow-going. At least humor helped, and hanging out with Cubbi.   
  
  When they turned into the open doorway to Cubbi's room, Toni grinned and was about to open up with another joke when both lads were surprised to find Tavi there in her nightshirt and shoes, sitting on Cubbi's bed.  
  
  "Tavi? I thought you were with your brother." Cubbi said, frowning in concern. She looked real upset.  
  
  "I was but... Cubbi, my brother's dying, and not just his body. His soul's gonna die, too. That's why I hafta get to Gummi Glen right now and you gotta take me as fast as possible." She got up and grabbed him by the hand. "We gotta leave now."  
  
  "Hey, hold on." He tried to slow her insistant pulling of him out into the hall.   
  
  "No, Cubbi. Destini came to me in a dream, like before. She told me she knows where this powerful magic item thing is called Concordia and it'll save my brother. He's not gonna make it if I don't leave now. Please, Cubbi!"  
  
  "But, Tavi, the answer's right here for re-trapping Emi." Cubbi thrust the Merlinni book at her, and it was glowing and everything which meant it had more to say. "See? It's bound to know how to help your brother. This Merlinni book can be ANY book ever written by gummies as long as they were written in the past."   
  
  Tavi didn't scowl at him at his slow pace. Tears started trailing down her cheeks. "Cubbi, I... I don't care about that right now. I know it's a big deal and we can use whatever it is we learn later to blow Emi to heck but right now... Cubbi, I already know how to do this. I just **have** to save my brother! I just got him back and now he's slippin' away again. I know I can help him!" She sniffed, wiped at her eyes, and a fierce determination took hold of the young wizardess. "An' I'm goin', with or without your help."  
  
  It wasn't her forceful tone that got Cubbi to capitulate. It was her tears. Gum, he couldn't just stand there and see her cry like that.  
  
  With a loud, tired groan, Cubbi smacked the book into Toni's chest. "I gotta go, Tone, but you keep this."  
  
  "M-me? Why me?" He knew exactly what it was and did NOT want to be responsible for the thing. And it was glowing still but he didn't wanna open it. He was tired!  
  
  Being tugged away by Tavi, Cubbi shrugged and said, "I dunno! Corvi's outta action for now and the adults can't use the thing. It only likes cubs!"

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Healer's Alcove_**  
  
  Healer Sarrika could have kicked  herself. So wrapped up in looking for a cure for Lucki, she'd forgotten to check on poor Karleni for quite some time! Feeling too guilty to ask one of her apprentices to do so, the healer entered her main wing where the mentally abused bearess had been taken. One of her two apprentices, Dashi, lay snoozing up against the wall. That was the first thing she saw when she walked in. Rounding the corner to get to the set of six beds lined up in the next room, Healer Sarrika stopped in her tracks.   
  
  Karleni had been the only occupant of the medical ward, placed in the second bed. Now? Every single bed was empty.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
  The room hurriedly picked out for the imromptu and rudely-called meeting was decidedly smaller. In fact, it wasn't much larger than Sir Plucki's own quarters. This particular council chambers was used for more one-on-one meetings. However, the cramped conditions probably lent better for containing whatever had changed Lucki. Oh, they had an idea what might be going on but the knight-captain kept his thoughts to himself and waited for when they had more information. It wouldn't do to make snap judgments when Lucki's health was fragile as it is and who knew the full of what was to be divulged.  
  
  They had a bit of a wait of it. The suddenly picky Lucki stood in the middle of the room with his bruised arms crosses as if he felt no pain at all and required four chairs only be present, despite that there were eight individuals in the room. Then he demanded a bed be brought in and fussed over how it must be against the wall but only just so.  
  
  "Come now, lad. What is it you've got to say?" Gumlittle asked, trying to hide the impatience they all felt.  
  
  Lucki turned to the knight, his eyes filled with a hatred so alien, the others recoiled instantly. "I shall speak when I am ready to speak, you sad, fat bear. I do not take orders from..." He'd looked about to step forward, to stand right up to Sir Gumlittle, but instead stared at his feet. Snarling at them, Lucki said, "Release your hold now or else I'll--"  
  His words just stopped, and both arms flopped uselessly at his sides, much to his own bewilderment.  
  
  The onlooking Gummadoon councellors as well as the two knights shared confused looks. Sirs Gumlittle and Plucki edged closer to the cub, on guard, at the ready, despite the fact that the green-furred gummi was ignoring them completely. He appeared to be arguing with himself instead.  
  
  "Stop it or I'll hurt your precious family." he was saying, not looking at anyone at all but casting vicious glances about, his tone smearing the adjective derisively.   
  
  "Lucki?" Gumlittle queried cautiously, taking another step near his once-slain squire.  
  
  The boy didn't seem to hear, though his features softened to resemble his old self. And he said, in his normal soft voice, "Don't... threaten... them. Not... helping."  
  
  _THAT'S the Lucki I know._ thought Gumlittle, relaxing just a bit. Though it was odd, his halting speech pattern. "Lucki--"  
  
  Before he could even blink, his resurrected squire whirled, a terrible grin on his face, and woundh is fist back to land a solid punch to the big knight's gut...  
  
  Only to find, yet again, that his hands dropped uselessly at his side.  
  
  Sir Plucki pulled at his fellow knight, urging him away.  
  
  "Everyone stand back. That is not Lucki." Councilor Wooddale said, taking several steps back and clutching her medallion.  
  
  The cub's eyes flashed with glee, mirroring the evil smile adorning his contorted face which turned to his aunt. "Figured it out, you old bag? Took you long enough. But this really IS Lucki, 'Aunt Toffi'."   
  
  The mock sweetness in his tone was enough to sicken everyone in the room. Figured it out? Oh yes. They'd begun to suspect there was more to Lucki's dilemma as soon as the boy started talking in two different tones.   
  
  The cub's aunt eyed her possessed nephew with unwavering determination and a touch of anger. She bravely stepped forward and demanded, "Who are you?"  
  
  Again, the green-furred Lucki attempted to attack. Again, the attempt failed. This time, it ended with Lucki locking up from head to toe and falling forward, stiff as a board. Sir Gumlittle jumped in to catch the lad before he did himself more harm.   
  
  And, for a moment, the tense gummies received a brief respite as Lucki went completely limp in Gumlittle's arms.  
  
  Plucki turned worried eyes on Councilor Wooddale. "You know who's doing this. We all do."  
  
  Wooddale growled at the situation, at the remainder of her family slowly being torn apart, at what was happening to her nephew and the unfairness of everything. "Yes, but I wanted her to say it."  
  
  Councilor Flurryfeather stepped forward to lay a comforting hand on Wooddale's shoulder. "Possession is tricky. There's got to be a reason why she'd reveal herself. We can't afford to have harm come to Lucki's body."  
  
  Wooddale sighed, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "I know. Just... Once, I'd like to be rid of that witch. And--"  
  
  "Aunt... Toffi?" Lucki's faint voice cut in.  
  
  All looked on the green-furred cub, came near to listen. His body still lay slack in Gumlittle's grasp. His eyes remained closed.  
  
  "Can... hear... you. Can't... see. Fighting... too... hard."  
  
  Wooddale was at her nephew's side in a blink. "We're here, Lucki. We'll help you."  
  
  "Can't... help... me. Just... wait."  
  
  As disturbing as it was to hear the lad calmly say they couldn't help him, the resultant silence was harder still to take. It was agony, waiting for Lucki to speak again.  
  And when he did... "Finally." came the petulant tone so foreign to the cub. "Now to get to my terms."  
  
  "There won't be a discussion of terms, Lady Bane." Councilor Wooddale said in a flat tone. "You will remove yourself from Lucki or we will do it for you."  
  
  After a short silence, the real Lucki spoke. "She... can't,... Aunt... Toffi."  
  
  The eyes still shut and body unmoving, it was eerie having a conversation with two voices from a single mouth but the gathered gummies pushed through the bizarre situation, concerned only for their returned Lucki.   
  
  "You can't leave?" Wooddale frowned in suspicion at such news. "You're possessing my nephew, are you not?"  
  
  Silence, in which they were forced to wait for their answers.  
  
  A huffy sigh shot out of the cub's mouth. "The brat needs me to explain the situation to you stupid bears. Make no mistake. I am in control of this body... No... you're... not... I most definitely am!"  
  
  It was clear now who was speaking when but also clear was that they were getting nowhere.  
  
  Plucki lay a hand on the boy's shoulder, as gently as he could given how easily he bruised. "You need to stop arguing, both of you. One of you explain yourselves."  
  
  "I will." Lady Bane. "The short captain of the guards is right. We don't have time for this. Yes, I'm possessing this disgusting cub. I did resurrect him and planned to use him to infiltrate Gummadoon and destroy you all. Naturally, it was working. But there's a much bigger problem for you, isn't there? Someone else who's toying with more than just one dead child?"  
  
  A new silence rang in the room. No one dare speak the name on all their lips.  
  
  "Ha!" The acid laugh leaped from Lucki's mouth. "That got you all to shut up. Now listen good, you stupid bears, and I may just help you survive the only truly interesting person to've been born of your race. One whose very name you're afraid to speak. Not that I blame you. The work she's done against her own kind is impressive."  
  
  "You admire her, you evil witch." accused Councilor Tosslewind.  
  
  "Of course I do!" Lady Bane snapped back with Lucki's voice.  
  
  "Then you aren't working with her?" Sir Plucki asked.  
  
  "No, sadly. Although I despise admitting it, she doesn't seem to think much of my own efforts to do you all in." was Lady Bane's miffed reply. "She in fact taunts me just as she taunts you wretched gummies and has hindered my ability to exit this filthy meat sack."  
  
  "You said you'd help us. How?" persisted Sir Plucki.  
  
  An evil grin twisted Lucki's gentle mouth. "Now we talk terms."

* * *

  
 _  
 **Gummadoon Hallway**_  
  
  Toni stared at the magic book in his hands, surprised at how light it was, before glancing down the hall at the retreating forms of Tavi and Cubbi. Didn't sound like a good idea to him, them rushing off and leaving everyone else behind without even telling anyone.   
  
  He sighed resolutely and headed to his own room for the night. "Didn't even ask me to come along. They're being dumb."  
  
  The book startled him with a sudden flashing glow.  
  
  He eyed the thing suspiciously before cautiously cracking open the tome.   
  
  Golden words splashed with alarming speed across the pages, pulsing in aggitation. They read: **Cubbi and Tavi are in great danger! Tell the Council and the knights! Quickly!!  
**  
  Toni didn't question it. His guts were tellin' him the same thing. He tore down the hall to the Councilroom Chambers. When no knight stopped him from bursting in, he didn't question his luck but pushed on through the doors.  
  
  The dark and completely empty room within echoed his pounding steps loudly in his ears.  
  
  Toni's mouth dropped open at the turn of events. "What the?! Where IS everybody??"  
  
  He rushed out, yelling down the halls for the knights, the council, anybody!  
  
  As he sped through sounding the alarm, Toni didn't see the creeping cloud of shiny particles wafting into every hall, doorway, and dorm in Gummadoon which soon silenced any who roused to his call.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
  "We will give you nothing but the opportunity to live and leave this land forever, never to bother our kind again." Sir Plucki told the witch who currently possessed Lucki Gummi.   
  
  "Then I suppose we are at a stand-still. I--"  
  
  She was cut off yet again as Lucki mentally shoved Lady Bane away from control of the mouth. "We... don't... have... time. You... agreed... to... help!" And trying to talk through her clingy control was like swimming through molasses. Just a struggle for every word to come out. Even with her agreeing to a small alliance to fight Emi, she wasn't giving an inch. In fact, she was trying to barter knowledge of Emi for further magical knowledge! Sometimes, even being intimately close to her and seeing and hearing what he'd so far witnessed of her own inner leaking thoughts and memories, he still couldn't believe her greed and quest for power. So must lost, so high a cost, and for what?  
  
  "Ugh! Your clueless whining annoys me to no end!" she complained vocally, snatching back the mouth once more.   
  
  "But he's correct." Berrybottom argued. "We've no time for quibbling over this. Even as we speak, Emi is trying to free herself. What knowledge do you have of her?"  
  
  As they debated loudly the growingly problematic situation, Sirs Plucki and Gumlittle immediately smelled a change in the air.   
  
  "Slumber sand!!" Their panicked yells sounded nearly like a single voice as their eyes began to dart about. Up, at the ventilation ports, a shiny mist visibly rained down upon them.  
  
  The two knights leaped up to act but it was too late. Anyone who breathed the tiniest amount of the Gummadoon-created slumber sand would fall to its effects. And as councilmember and knight alike wilted under the powerful sleep-inducer, they could do nothing but wonder desperately how in the world they'd been infiltrated so completely.  
  
  And, although Lucki's body succombed to the effects of the slumber sand, falling into as deep a sleep as the other gummies, the magically locked minds within remained very much aware, if locked out of the goings-on of the waking world.  
  
  _Oh now isn't this just the twist_ , snarked Lady Bane in the void of the shared mind.  
  
 _It's slumber sand. How did...?  
  
  It's obvious, idiot. She either has already escaped and is making her move or she's possessed some poor hapless meat sack of her own to do the deed. I'd suspect possession, given that knocking you all out isn't her style of taking over.  
  
  You seem to know a lot about her methods.  
  
  Of course. I've studied them a bit. Her exploits, her rampages._ The presence of Lady Bane grinned. _I'd do the same twice over, and I will once I find a way to manage it.  
_  
  _And that's why we can't trust you. What is it about power that drives you so hard. I can feel it. You can't hide that._  
  
  She didn't reply at first, still unsure how the cub had access to some of her memories. She didn't want to admit that's what he'd seen -- not to him or to herself -- but she could deny it no longer. Nor could she deny the fact that, with Emi making her move, they truly had no time for quibblings. _Alright, little bear. It seems I have no choice.  
_  
  _Good. Okay. So what do you know about her?  
_  
  As she parlayed with the brat, she allowed herself a secret smile. Yes. Let them think she was more in a corner than she was. Let their guard fall. She'd be waiting patiently to pounce as soon as they were too distracted with Emi's efforts.

* * *

  
 _  
 **Corvi's Room, several hours later**  
_  
  Sir Blastus roused with a sigh and a yawn, a bit surprised that he'd dozed off in his seat but, then again, they had all been through much. The body can only take so much punishment before it rebels.   
  
  The knight looked on his snoozing squire just as Corvi woke with a great groan. Knowing what was coming next, Blastus picked up a bin. When Corvi rolled toward him, he was ready and caught all of the vomit which began to spew forth from the hung-over cub.  
  
  As Corvi puked his guts out, he heard Sir Blastus tsk'ing at him.   
  
  "Ah, mon petit enfant it is long past time we talked. What caused you to act in this fashion?"


	38. Chapter 38

For a moment, Corvi couldn’t reply, trying to get his breath back after the heaving and wiping the sickness from his mouth with the back of his hand. He blinked, opened his eyes, still hunched over and quickly slammed his eyes shut again, moving a sluggish arm to cover his face from the offending light, as minor as it was. Again, he heard Blastus giving that little tsk of disapproval but he did not elaborate on it. However, the knight did reach over and lower the light though he did not extinguish it completely. All the same, he was grateful for the small gesture. “Sorry…”

“Not pleasant, n’est ce-pas?” Blastus inquired, though without venom. There was without a doubt the touch of disappointment, of sternness that one did not normally hear from the jovial knight but given the circumstances, it was expected. Underneath all of it though, there was…worry, a deep, heartfelt worry that made Corvi’s heart sick. Now that his wits were catching up with him, it was quite apparent that he had no way out from this one. Corvi wondered though, should he even try? He was causing so much worry in Blastus; even through the knight’s stern vocal level, he could hear it. Beyond that, he had to admit he was rather disgusted with himself. Gum, what if he had made it back to his brothers in a drunken haze? His heart ran cold at that thought! He could have hurt them, even unintentionally. Dear Gum…  
  
He lunged forward and heaved again, bringing up more bile and water than anything else this time but the thought turned his stomach and it needed no help with that. He felt Blastus move some of his stray hairs away from his face.   
  
If he had hurt his brothers…heck, he could have done it unintentionally. Not being aware, not being able to respond when they needed him? But…Gum, hadn’t he been doing that all this time? He’d finally thought to bring them to the palace where adults ran all about. What about those past few weeks? Days? Morri was a reasonable one but he was still only seven years old! He’d been throwing the role of full time care-giver on a seven year old! Granted, he had rushed back as often as he could but who was doing most of the care for Cori? His seven year old brother.  
  
Tears prickled in his eyes. Gum forgive him! Dear Gum, please forgive him. He was…he never meant to….he just…he didn’t want to lose his brothers too! Nothing else, he could not take anything else being lost! First Father, then Mother, then Lucki…  
  
Lucki…  
  
He had made Lucki a promise. Lucki…who was going to pass away, again but this time with no reprieve. Gone, forever.  
  
Corvi’s head hung, his long hair falling into his eyes as his heaving gave way to tears. Pent up tears that came like a fountain, stress that flowed off his body like a spring rain. It had been a long time since he had cried so hard. Whenever he tried to stop, to cease the tears, they just continued to come, relentlessly. He felt the mattress sag after a moment and then Blastus’s strong arms were around him, holding him close. And Blastus’ stern but kind baritone, “Mon petit enfant, you carry so much stress on your heart. What weighs it so? What makes my responsible squire go drinking himself sick?”  
  
“Mama…”  
  
Blastus nodded, “You mentioned her a little in your drunken state.” Blastus informed him, holding the boy tight.  
  
“I…did?”  
  
“Qui.” The knight nodded and stroked the boy’s long hair. “You said something about her sleeping like the dead and that she couldn’t stroke your hair anymore.”  
Catching the lump in his throat, the boy sobbed, “She can’t.”  
  
Not getting anywhere this way, Blastus inquired, “Corvus, we can sit here playing guessing games all day but it won’t help you. You need to talk to me.”  
  
Without lifting his head, Corvi sobbed, feeling an odd sense of relief at speaking the words, “Mama can’t because she’s with Papa!”  
  
Blastus stiffened a bit, stunned. Stunned enough that he did not even have time to respond before Corvi was jerking his head up, panic in his eyes, even as tears flowed down the boy’s face in a steady stream. “She died, Blastus! She never got better when she got sick! I tol’ her to call a healer. I tol’ her to let me get help but she said no, no, no. So I listened. Gum, I should have gotten a healer anyway! I failed her! I let her die!”  
  
“Corvi—“  
  
“And then…then…I know little cubs get adopted really easy, I know that. My brothers are all I have left!” On this, the boy was adamant and grasped hold of Blastus’ tunic so tightly that the fabric gave a little bit. “Don’t let them take my brothers away, Blastus! Please!”  
  
“Corvi!” Blastus moved his hands to clasp the boy by the cheeks and pull him back into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him, “Non, non, non, little lamb. No one is taking your brothers away.”  
  
The cub collapsed into sobs, all the sobs that had been encased in his heart since that day when he poured dirt onto his mother’s still form. “I thought I was gonna lose them Blastus! I can’t, I can’t! Papa’s gone, Mama’s gone, Tori is gone! Am I cursed Blastus?”  
  
Blastus shook his head, “Non, mon enfant, I don’t think you are—“  
  
“I must be!” Corvi cried out, “I was there when Papa died! I saw it! Papa’s blood was all me Blastus!”  
  
“Corvi—“  
  
“And Tori! I was the one that found him! I went into his bedroom, shook him, asked him to come play and he was gone!”  
  
“Corvi-“  
  
“And Mama! My job was to take care of her, to help her get better and I failed her! I should have gotten a healer, I should have pushed her more!”  
  
“Corvi-“  
  
“And Morri and Cori are hurtin’ and I dunno how to make it stop and now Lucki is dying and I can’t stop that either. Make it stop Blastus! Make the pain stop!!”  
  
Blastus pulled the boy into his chest, even tighter and as odd as it might have been, he pulled the teen into his lap, saying softly, “<Be at peace, little lamb. Your heart has taken on so much. Let me take some of it.>” Gum, what was he to do? He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting but it certainly had not been that! Lady Cressi, gone? And the revelation of his buried memory of his father’s death on top of that? Plus all the stress of preparation for Emi’s potential danger? All of these things would be enough to make anyone break and poor Corvi had taken it all on with nary a thought…and all while having this horrific thought that his younger brothers would be wrenched from him as well? Blastus could not say that he would not have also wanted to numb such thoughts!   
  
“That’s why you went after the gummiberry brandy, mon enfant?” He inquired softly, non-accusing. “To numb some of this pain?”  
  
Corvi nodded against Blastus’ chest, shaking a bit still. “I…I thought it was gonna overwhelm me. I just wanted a few hours to not worry about it, not think about it. It’s always runnin’ through my head now Blastus. When Papa died…I see it now every time I close my eyes. And Tori…I still remember that day. I know I  was a little shrimp but I remember. He was so cold but his eyes were open. They just…looked right through me.” He shuddered at the memory and was grateful when the knight tightened his grip some. “And Mama…I was taking good care of her, Blastus but she wasn’t getting’ better. I tol’ her to let me get a healer but she wouldn’t listen. And you were sick too! I thought Mama would know if she needed more help and…” He broke down again, “And she died. I went in to check on her and she was gone. I hoped that she had fallen into a deep sleep or something but she was cold.” Lowering his head, he sobbed, “When she didn’t even move when I took her out to the woods, I knew for sure but I didn’t want to believe it. And…I felt so bad…pouring all that dirt on her!”  
  
Blastus stiffened, again, “Corvi, you buried her yourself?”  
  
The cub nodded.  
  
 _Gum Above! No cub should ever have to do such a thing!_ **_Ever!_** He eyed his young squire, “Dear Gum, Corvi! Why didn’t you…”  
  
The cub took a sharp inhale, saying, “I thought…Cori is at the ripe age to be adopted, you know that. Morri is young enough to. I thought if someone found out that both my parents were gone…I mean, I’m old enough to stay here and train still but not Morri, not Cori. I knew they’d snatched up quick.” He bit his lower lip, feeling lower than he had ever felt before. “It’s the most selfish thing I’ve ever done but I couldn’t…I can’t lose my brothers. Please. They’re…all I have left!”  
  
Blastus stiffened his voice, kept it caring but stiffened its tone so that there would be no doubt, no fear. He would drive that poisonous fear out of his young one!  
  
“Corvi…my brave boy, no one is touching your brothers, I make that a promise to you, on my own life. I swear it.”  
  
Corvi locked eyes with his mentor. “You…swear…?”  
  
Blastus took the boy’s hand and pushed it against his chest, “<As my heart beats, Corvi. On my heartbeat, on the breath in my chest…no one is taking your brothers from you>”  
  
The teen stared at him for just a moment, then buried his face into Blastus’s shoulder, shaking with both the aftereffects of the alcoholic drink and with repressed sobs. Blastus slowly started to stroke the boy’s long blond hair, softly whispering comforting words to him. How could he have let such a thing slip by him? Dear Gum…if he had intervened early? If he had spotted it, if he had…  
  
Shaking his head, Blastus recalled what his elder brother had stated earlier, that there was nothing to be done about past events now. All he could do was repair what damage he could, repair what hurt he could, ease what heartache he could. So, he sat there, silent, letting his young squire sob until his shoulder was soaked. Never commenting except to remind the cub every so often that nothing was going to happen to his brothers, that he was there and things were going to be fine.  
  
For young Corvi, his heart felt like it would burst. All his sorrows, all his pain, all of the past days week (or was it two?) of agony just spilled out. He was sure he was babbling, talking in nonsense terms but he could hardly do otherwise. His mentor, dear dependable Blastus, had made him a vow and Blastus never broke a vow. His brothers were not going to be taken away from him. That relief, that reassurance broke the last nail in his dam that held in all those tears. It had been a long time since he had emptied his heart onto his mentor. Gum, it felt so good!  
  
It took a bit of time before Corvi finally broke his sobbing to ask, “How…long was I out?”  
  
Allowing a small smile, Blastus looked at the clock, frowned. Corvi caught onto this right away, asking, “What’s wrong Blastus?”  
  
“Too much time.” The knight frowned. “Even with all that brandy in your system…it’s nearly three AM!”  
  
Corvi jerked up “What?! You let me sleep that long?”  
  
The knight frowned, “No. I drifted off myself. Still, I should not have been so out of it that I slept for so long.” Blastus blinked, sniffed the air, catching that familiar smell, “Slumber sand..” He frowned. Something was afoot. Was that why he had drifted off so easily? He turned his sights to the cub in his arms. Dear Gum, could life not cut this poor cub a break? Now, when he had finally gotten somewhere with him, given him a chance to let those repressed emotions out and they had this mystery to sort out. Slumber sand was usually kept well away from mischievous cubs and even then, it was deemed important enough not to mess with, just as the juice was not to be played with. No, this was no mere prank.   
  
“Corv-“ Blastus began but his squire silenced him with a hand, a shaky smile. He looked utterly miserable. He was pale, shaking and Gum knew that the cub would rather be doing anything but rising and standing but that was precisely what he did. Disentangled himself from Blastus’ arms, the young squire forced himself to his feet, though he swayed some and Blastus was immediately up and behind him. “Take it slow, Corvi.”  
  
“Somethin’s going on, Blastus.” He reminded the knight. “Slumber sand doesn’t just randomly slip into the vents.”

* * *

  
  
 _ **Gummadoon Inner Workings**  
_  
Consciousness came slowly for the gummi woman. Blinking, Karleni’s eyes focused and she sat up slowly. Her reddish hair draped into her eyes and she ran her brown furred hand over her face, trying to gather her wits. Glancing about, she recognized the inner workings of Gummadoon, where their technicians and inventors would maintain their cooling and heating systems. She could not recall coming here though. She did not make a habit of venturing into areas of mechanics and the like. It was not her forte. The last thing she remembered was that she had been speaking with one of the healer’s assistants, asking if her son would please come to see her. So far, her Toni had not come near her, in any shape. It tore at her heart. They had never had the greatest relationship but they had possessed something of a relationship. Though, given the recent events, it really brought to Karleni’s attention her lack of effort in striking up a strong bond with her son. It had been hardly intentional but he looked so much like his father…  
  
“Oh Anthoni…” She murmured, mainly to herself, “How did I lose our child? I…you were supposed to have come home by now.” Her smart-as-a-whip husband had been selected to travel to a foreign soil to perform some experiments on gummiberry production (among other things) and he had never returned. Toni had been so young, he scarcely remembered his father. Given that he had disappeared before Gummadoon vanished out of time and space, her Anthoni was at least 500 years older now. Given all the clues, plus the time past, everyone had told her that Anthoni was gone. She refused to believe it. In some ways, she still didn’t. Yet, the pain of him being gone made her reluctant to spend extended periods of time with her son. He just…he looked SO much like Anthoni that it hurt her heart. It made her miss her dear love all the more!   
  
She ground her hands into tight fists. Oh what she had lost these past nine years. It was truly sad that it had taken her being possessed to realize what she had right in front of her. And now…now…her son would not come near her! She had plead, begged and bribed anyone that she came in contact with to ‘please, please, ask my son to come see me!’ Thus far, they had all returned with the same message—Toni had no interest in seeing her. Dear Gum, that witch…what damage she had done. Was it irreversible? Her heart dreaded it might be so!  
  
Feeling her eyes watering a bit, she rubbed at them, yelping a bit at the sharp sting. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes, staring at the odd color on her fingertips. A silvery-blue substance…  
  
“Slumber sand?” The sleeping solution was well known to the citizens of Gummadoon but all the same, Karleni scarcely ever saw it. She trailed the odd mixture of it on her fingers, to the floor and then the short distance away from her…  
  
Jumping to her feet, she gasped in horror at the remains of one of their vials of slumber sand lay less than a foot away from her, at the entry way to one of their air ducts. Shaking with the realization, as well as the realization that she could not recall any of it…which meant that once again, she had been compromised, she collapsed in tears. “No! No! Not again!” How could she have allowed…she fallen prey once and the things she had said…the things she had done…she would be trying to make amends for that until her last breath! The things she had said and done…her only child drew away from her as if she were diseased as it were! Now, again! And why…  
  
There had to be something she could do. If she could fall prey so easily and remember so little…what if she were to attack her son again? No, no, she could not allow that! She …it was her fault for wallowing for so long in her pity, in her grief. Toni needed her to become strong again, to be able to resist such horrific influences. Gum, she could not fall victim again! No, no, she could not, she would not! Her son…she had to get her son back and right now, she would not blame him for not wanting to come near her. She did not want to be near herself!  
  
No! No! She could not fall into this despair. She had to win her son back! She would! She must! She had to! It WOULD happen! She would win his trust back and he would come back to her and she would at the very least get to hold him in her arms once more…  
  
Rushing off in a huff, her skirts rushing behind her like a multicolored cloud, Karleni burst back into the main halls of Gummadoon.  
  
Hand to her mouth in disbelief as well as in heart-wrenching grief, she could only shake and collapse against the wall at the sight of gummies slowly arousing in the hall, at the confused faces glancing back and forth, at the whispered questions. Sliding to the floor slowly, Karleni shook visibly and buried her face into her arms. Dear Gum, what had she done and why? It was not like last time. It was…and yet it was not. Before, she could recall what she had done, as much as she had wanted to forget (how she prayed even now to make it go away) but this one…she had no recollection, none at all! That was somehow even more frightening. What had she done…why had she done this…WHO and WHY were they using her? Had her dear son collapsed only to awaken frightened and unsure? She felt a strong urge to tear through Gummadoon’s halls, seeking out her child, but the fear he had looked upon her with the last time she had seen him, the cry of “NO!” when they had shared sick bay upon her request to see him…  
  
She would only terrify him.  
  
Her actions had potentially sent her son crashing to the ground, maybe possibly injured by the fall and she knew in her heart that he would recoil from her as one recoiled from a poisonous serpent. Depression overwhelmed her and she crumbled into a pile of tears and shakes.  
  
That was how Sarrika found her, arms folded and sobbing into her chest.  
  
“Karleni! There you are! Gum, forgive me…we should have checked…_I_ should have checked in on you sooner.” Sarrika knelt, took the poor abused gummi woman’s hand. For a moment, the gummi lady did not reply but then, slowly, she lifted a tear-stained face.  
  
“What did I do?” She inquired, with a choking voice. “I cannot recall. Please. What did I do?”  
  
Sarrika had hoped, had prayed that things had not been as she feared. She had hoped that maybe the gummi woman had left seeking her son. That would have been better than what she had heard as she rushed through the halls, amid the awakening gummies. Everyone that had seen Karleni had reported the same thing: the gummi woman had moved mechanically, her face empty and pale, never responding to anything. Another possession? Gum, was there no escape or reprieve for this poor woman? Could she not do anything to help? She should have checked in on her more often…she had failed her patient in the worst of ways!  
  
“It seems that all you have done is give everyone an extended nap.” Sarrika tried to reassure her. “No harm done…”  
  
“This would not have occurred if I had been stronger. How can you say there was no harm done, Sarrika?” Karleni demanded, tears of frustration and horror in her eyes. “Someone took my body for their own use, again! I know not what they wanted me to drug the city for but surely it was for some devious reason! I..I cannot fall victim again, Sarrika! I cannot! I must resist, I must be of aid, of help, not hindrance. Then…maybe my son…” She trailed off, eyed Sarrika. “Please, Sarrika. I must…do something.”

* * *

  
  
 _ **Gummadoon Guest Chambers**  
_  
Waking up put Gruffi in even more of a foul mood, if that was possible. Well, it was not so much he was in a bad mood before, it was more of a stressed mood. The words exchanged within the Council Chamber carried a lot of weight and what he had learned from Grammi and Zummi carried even more weight. He’d grown up like most any other cub, knowing the story of Emi only as a frightening tale that one would utilize to spook a friend. Oh, he had guessed there to be some truth to it (as Zummi said, most, if not all, of gummi legends and stories were based in fact) but the extent of truth that there was both shocked and frightened him.  
  
Gruffi Gummi despised both of these.  
  
Sleep was simply not possible. While he and Grammi had tried to persuade Sunni and Tummi to rest, the two of them were not having it. Thus, the entire group of the Glen, including Gusto, had ended up in Gruffi’s chamber. It was plenty large enough. Oh, the questions that Sunni and Tummi had thrown at him, Zummi and Grammi. Demands for explanation, requests for “truth” and all sorts of other emotion-fueled requests. Most of them asked the same thing—why had they not been told about such an atrocious thing in the Glen’s history? The short answer had been simple enough: it had fallen away to simple story for a great deal of them. Gruffi had grown up without any knowledge of the blasted entryway until the incident with Kashimi and Merri.   
  
Grammi had been quick to tell Sunni and Tummi  that they had “just been tryin’ to protect you.” That was her answer to a lot of things but in this case, it made a lot of sense, more so than usual for the overprotective maternal gummi. After all, what good would it do to frighten cubs when you didn’t even know enough about what you were tryin’ to protect them from? It hadn’t made a lot sense to Gruffi or the others to really elaborate on it. When the cubs had been young, a simple “you’re not allowed down there” had been enough. Now it seemed that such dark times were not to be pushed aside so easily.  
  
 _Folding her arms, Sunni glared at the threesome of adults, “And you never thought it might be good to let us know all this?”  
  
Grammi sighed, ran a hand through her hair, “Sweetie, there wasn’t a whole lot to tell. I mean, sure, we knew somethin’ nasty was down there but we didn’t bother to look into it.”  
  
Zummi adjusted his glasses, “You have to sundersand unni—er, understand Sunni: Grammi and I didn’t see any of this. We just heard the legends. Most we got was venturing near that hallway and hearing whispers of bad luck being from Emi. Nothin’ else.”  
  
Tummi frowned, spoke out, “Still. You could have told us some of it. Once we were old enough.”  
  
Grammi answered him honestly, taking hold of his hand with a gentle but firm grip, as if wanting to convey all her emotions in that simple grasp, “Tummi, dear, the things that are in those stories…I still don’t think I’m old enough to handle them. I didn’t want to put them on you.”  
  
Sunni frowned but quite frankly, how could she argue that type of point? The few things she had heard in the meeting were enough to make her weak in the knees. The very idea of a gummi killing people was one thing but it seemed that this gummi had not just killed some, but lots. And lots. And lots of people. As much as she had wished she had been informed about these things beforehand, she could also see why the adults opted not to tell them. If she had grown up never knowing about Emi, she was pretty sure that would have suited her fine.  
  
Then…that ignorance was also why they were in the situation they were: grasping for answers from anywhere. They had failed to preserve the facts and now they had so many holes. Frowning, in deep concentration, she addressed Gusto, who was oddly quiet, “Gusto, did you know about any of this?”  
  
The sky blue artist had hardly said anything since their group had gathered, “I heard stories. My warren used to say not to even mention her name, just called her things like ‘lost one.’” Gusto shrugged “I know about as much as you guys though. Knew she did lots of bad stuff, knew she was eventually caught and imprisoned. Beyond that…I got nothing.”He scoffed, almost laughed “dismissed it as a fairy tale to be honest, Sunners.”  
  
Silence again and Zummi sighed aloud “If only it was…”  
  
Gruffi groaned, “Look. No point wishin’. That ain’t going to help. Thinkin’ and remembering is. There’s gotta be somethin’ else. Something we’re missing.”  
  
Silence. That blasted deafening silence.  
  
Zummi took a deep breath finally, asking, “You said you sealed up that tunnel, Gruffi?” Much as he did not want to address those old days, Gruffi was right. It did not help to fret over wishes and if-onlys. The best thing they could do was dig into their combined knowledge as much as possible. Surely, with the stories and experiences of all of them, there had to be something! That entrance seemed to be the best place to start. Zummi shuddered at the mere memory of it but perhaps Gruffi had come to know more than he thought over the years.  
  
Snorting, the handibear replied, “Tight as anything. Wasn’t much left to sort through anyway. When you two blasted it, you did good. Kashimi just got unlucky. She tried to wiggle underneath some of the fallen beams and the walls gave way. Not much else to say about it.” Gruffi didn’t want to say anything else about it. Truthfully, he’d never forget that day. He’d been younger but he’d rushed down there all the same when that horrible crash rumbled  through the Glen. Actually gave him a start; they never went near that ol’ crumblin’ tunnel entrance. Didn’t even know what was beyond it. Leave it to curious Kashimi and Merri to seek it out. He knew there was a lower level of the Glen where there used to more rooms and such. Just never saw a reason to question why it was closed off. He was told the Great Gummies deemed it ‘lost’ and that was enough for him.  
  
Until that day.  
  
Not until he found Kashimi’s crushed body. The older ones murmured about the ‘dark curse’ claiming another one. Gruffi never put much stock in that. It was…a feeling. Gruffi had learned to trust his instincts and when he and the others removed Kashimi from that horrific wreckage, he heard haunting crying, sobbing, yelling. He could never pinpoint where it came from but he knew he never wanted to see that tunnel again. The faint gaps in the fallen beams had only shown pitch blackness. Not like anything Gruffi had ever seen or had seen since. The light from their lamps and candles seemed to be swallowed up. It made no sense. None at all.  
  
Gruffi cleared his throat, addressed Zummi’s question finally, “Yeah. Couldn’t do much about the beams without renovating the whole hallway so we just put a thick door in front of it. Locked it tight.” That much he had made certain of. He had calculated how thick they needed to make the door and then tripled it. He didn’t want any speck of that hallway invading out. Not a speck. The idea of venturing down the hall, even just a bit to reinforce the walls…no, no, that could not and would not be done.   
  
“So…we’ve…” Sunni paused, yawned. “sealed off her…prison…but…”  
  
Grammi smiled, was about to suggest that Sunni get to bed when she found herself yawning. Not once, not twice but three times.  
_  
Gruffi was pretty sure that was when everything went black.   
  
That was all they’d accomplished that Gruffi could remember. He knew for Gum sure though that his clan had not just all decided to collapse where they were and sleep. Not when he had been ready to comment on what Solei had said. He should have thought of it earlier! One of the elders had commented that Solei had been fond of saying “the hallway’s a reflection. Not all reflections are pleasant.” Gruffi had not pondered much on it at the time, just wanted to seal that hallway up. Once that final nail had been put into the wooden barrier, the false wall, the noises had gone silent.   
  
Now though, thinking back on it—Solei was Lumina’s daughter, Sunni’s mom. Apparently Lumina had designed the prison. Had she tol’ her daughter something? Was Solei tryin’ to tell them something?  
  
No time to worry about it now though. As Gruffi went from Sunni to Tummi,to Grammi, Zummi and even to Gusto, he narrowed his eyes, “I don’t like this. Somethin’ is up.”  
  
That was all the warning they got before they heard a cub’s shouting in the hall. Throwing open the door, Grammi briefly spotted the cub they’d be introduced to earlier, called Toni. He was dashin through the halls, clutching that magical book to his chest, calling, “Hello! Anyone? Come on! Where is everyone?! Cubbi and Tavi are in trouble!”  
  
The group of Glens rushed after the rapid-paced cub like fire.

* * *

  
  
 _ **Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers**  
_  
Within his mind, Lucki found that a conversation with Lady Bane had hardly gotten any easier. The woman had agreed to help and to share what she knew but she was being very picky about what she revealed. It seemed that she HAD kept tabs on the motions and actions of Emi Gummi. Truthfully, it was hard for Lucki to sort through it. The things that Lady Bane had observed were horrific and yet the woman never seemed to be bothered by it. When she uncovered a memory of Emi’s attack on Bera, she had laughed, outright laughed.   
  
Lucki on the other hand, had felt sick.   
  
Seeing the corpses of the dead gummi city, even in Lady Bane’s memory, was sickening. He could see all kinds of gummies, young and old, just sprawled about, dying and bleeding out. It was like seeing the remains of a huge battle laid out before you. Yet Lady Bane never faltered, never changed her sick joy at it. In fact, it was halfway through this memory that Lucki come to the conclusion that this was not going to work. It was quite apparent she was choosing what to reveal to him. Of course she meant to turn on them; Lucki had no doubts on that. However, it was vital that he break her, that he get to her, that he make her be cooperative. Time was short. The slumber sand would wear off soon enough and then, they had to make progress. It was essential.  
  
She was afraid of Emi. Oh, Lucki knew that to be fact. Her emotions when they both realized that Emi had invaded their mind, the way she had joined forces with him to shove that entity out. That was what he needed to focus on. That fear. Emotions always led to memories. Lady Bane, like a lot of the enemies they encountered, did not put much stock in emotions. In fact, she tried as much as possible to cast all and any emotions out of her, save for the emotions of greed and longing for conquest. Hence, while she put up a fierce guard on her memories…  
  
There was no barrier on her emotions.   
  
Such a fact did not mean it was any less frightening though. Shifting through her emotions meant he had to part through her emotions of anger, of desire. He had to see all the horrific things she wanted to do, all the things she longed and planned to do to his family. It made a deep fear rush through his heart but it was also a strong motivator. He would not let the things he saw come to pass. He refused. He had people he cared about and people who were close to his heart. He would not lose them!  
  
So, when Lady Bane realized what he was doing, when she began to curse at him, when she thrust her will to try and block him, forgive him if he gave a smirk, even as he slipped into emotions rooted in dark memories. To block someone, you had to have knowledge and recognition of the emotion. Lady Bane had been denying her fear for a long time…  
  
  
 _“Why do you help me?” A young girl, long black hair bound back in a low ponytail accused the much older man in front of her. They were obviously related in some fashion, having similar dark tresses though the man before her had light green eyes, very different from the dark brown eyes the girl possessed. Her tone was curious, inquiring. She was young, perhaps seven years of age, yet with a dark look to her eyes, the look of one that has already had much of their hope torn from them. “Mother doesn’t bother.”  
“I know, little Bane.” The man replied, kneeling to her level. “She didn’t with me either. I still don’t know how I made it to adulthood. Maybe she doesn’t get a kick out of it until you can process what’s happening.”  
The young girl frowned. “Brother—“  
“Use my name, little Bane.” He interrupted her. “Titles like that just get you attached. That gets you killed.”  
Snorting, she went on, “Mother wouldn’t kill me. I’m her only daughter.”  
“You think she cares?” He pulled her close, locked eyes with her. “You were a by-product of getting more magic, nothing more. Same with me. Soon as she gets a chance, she’ll cast you off unless you’re useful.” He stood, pushed her a bit, “So be useful, little Bane.”  
The young girl bit her lower lip, obviously bothered by this but she quickly squashed that emotion down. Her brother was right. Everyone in the palace had a purpose. Hers seemed to be a punching bag for her mother’s frustrations. Though, there was a small part of her that said if she became good enough, Mother would appreciate her, notice her. Brother just had not pursued the right path. He’d learned how to read and play music and stuff, things that relaxed Mother from time to time but magic…THAT was Mother’s passion. And she would show her what she could do!_  
  
Lucki frowned; little Bane, that was the term that Emi had thrown at her when she’d invaded his mind. But…how did she know it? Lady Bane had mentioned admiring Emi but how close had they been? Was Lady Bane around Emi at all? Had she actually interacted with her? She had to have been. There was way too much fear for it to just be a happenstance meeting or passing through. There had been some interaction, some form of link between the two. What was it? He had to admit that he loathed to dig deeper into these emotions…  
  
But he had to.  
  
  
 _“Celina!”  
  
Bane whimpered and dared to open one eye. Her left eye had been swollen completely shut. Being cut of the same cloth of stubbornness as her mother, she had been quick to jump at the chance to show off a spell she had been working on only for it to backfire horrifically, nearly scarring her mother’s face. Celina, in response, had struck her, fiercely, with a sudden burst of fire magic and followed that up with a blow to the face. Needless to say, Bane’s desire to prove herself, to show her capabilities, had backfired considerably. She had hoped her brother had been wrong, had even told herself many times that brother had been wrong. She had dove into studying magic, certain that she would impress her mother with her skill.  
  
Now, it seemed her mother’s rage had been halted.  
  
Blinking in surprise, she called out, “Jason” for indeed, it was her elder brother who had intervened on her behalf! He gave her a dark look and turned his attention back to the fury-driven woman who seemed ready to rip his little sister apart with her bare hands. “Celina,” he stated again, then added, “Or Medea. What name are you going by now, Mother?”  
  
“You’re lucky I allow you to address me at all.” The woman’s dark tone shot back though she did admit, the fact that he was willing to risk her anger was amusing. For his little sister at that! The girl, the only daughter she had borne, was a waste of her time and space though she seemed to have inherited her intelligence, of sorts. Regardless, she had settled on the name of Bane for her as that was all she was—a bane to her existence. The elder boy, Jason, had been born when she was much younger and truthfully, while the idea of dispatching him at birth had been tempting, her lover had promised more magical knowledge if she allowed the boy to live. So she had. By the time her partner had outlived his usefulness (and been appropriately extinguished) the boy had proven to be quite good at creating beautiful clothes and music, all of which did appeal to her on some level. Hence, she allowed him to live.   
  
This intervention stretched her patience and she had every intention of snapping his neck right there but…no, there was something intriguing going on here. The little brat had gotten to her feet and rushed to cling to his leg, insisting that she was ‘getting better’ and would ‘prove her skill next time.’ Celina was a sorceress of limited patience and she did not care whether Bane had any skill or not, so long as she did not get in her way. She was quite long lived, having acquired an increased life span and magical knowledge from many opponents, ranging from sorcerers to the Fey-folk. Dealing with a small child that had nearly destroyed her latest acquisition to her magical collection was beyond her usual tolerance. Normally.  
  
But this odd thing…this strange connection that seemed to have formed between her son and daughter might prove useful. Relationships existed in all things. They dictated many things, nearly all things. She made it a goal of hers to learn and utilize them where she could. She had acquired many of her magical trinkets in that manner and learning more each chance she received would continue to benefit her. So, if her children could be a learning opportunity, she would use it. She withdrew her magic, eyed her son. She would not allow his intervention to go unpunished.  
  
“Celina, you know as well as I do that Bane is too young to do much right. She might be useful later on though. She’s stubborn like you.”  
  
The sorceress, with hair very much like her younger counterpart, snarled at the girl, “She is. It’ll be amusing to watch her fail.” To her son, she struck out with a fire spell, a quick one. It seared his left shut, the eye she had been aiming for on her daughter. “Your own usefulness is thinning, Jason.”  
  
Bane did not move until the sorceress had fled the room and ran to her brother, “Jason…”  
  
“Stop being stupid, little Bane.” He snorted at her. “It’s going to get you killed.”  
  
“I…I could try again…” She started but Jason interrupted her.  
  
“Stay alive, that’s all you need to be tryin’ at.” He glared at her through his good eye, clutching his injured one tight.   
  
_  
_Stay out, little bear._ Lady Bane’s threat was quite clear and had Lucki not the motivation of his family’s safety at stake, the way Lady Bane had threatened him would have made him withdraw. There was a darkness to her tone, a warning that he had yet to hear as of it. It made him feel weak in the knees, as if the woman would not hesitate in the next few moments to snuff his life from existence, even if threatened her position, even if it gave away her advantage. His soul felt the dark tendrils of hers.  
  
 _Am I hitting a nerve?_ Lucki questioned.  
  
 ** _Stay. Out._**

The cub ignored her dark rantings and dove deeper. He didn’t have a lot of time. He felt his body slowly stirring to as the effects of the slumber sand began to weaken. _No. No I won’t._ he snarled at her in response. _My family needs to beat this sorceress and we’re going to. I don’t care if you don’t want to address it. What you know WE need to know. And we WILL  
  
  
“Of all things, you choose magic?”  
  
The nine year old scoffed at her brother as he wrapped her hand with an ointment. “Of course. I’m good at it.”  
  
Jason tapped her burned hand and she winced, “Really?”  
  
“Well…I WILL be. Mot—Celina can’t be the only one good at it. I’ve seen her do all kinds of stuff with it!”  
  
Jason tied the cloth tight. “Not all good things.”  
  
The small girl locked sights with her brother, “But Celina can’t stay good forever. She’ll mess up eventually. You watch me, I’ll learn all she knows and MORE!” She eyed her damaged form in the nearby mirror. “I’ll be BETTER than her, PRETTIER than her, RICHER  than her, more POWERFUL than her!”  
  
“Risky path, little Bane,” he advised but left it at that.  
  
“Fortune favors the bold,” She reminded him; it was a phrase she had heard repeated in the few times she ventured to nearby villages and towns. While she did not completely understand it, she knew that it meant you had to take risks for what you wanted. She would take all the risks she needed. She would pursue magic, in its entirely. She would find any books she could, any trinket she could. Mother had lots of power and it had not all been obtained overnight. She had gotten it from this place and then another. She would take the same route and over time, she WOULD surpass her mother. Then, she would push HER around for once! “You watch me, Jason. I’ll do it!” She stood on her tiptoes “Then you and I will kick Mother out and WE’LL be in charge! Other people will do what WE want, no matter what they feel like, like we’ve had to do for years! It’ll be OUR game then, Jason!”  
  
  
You cared about him, huh?_ Lucki mused. He had to admit, uncovering this piece was unexpected. Feeling Lady Bane’s emotions over these memories certainly told him where the longing for magic came from, where the longing for power came from, and to some extent, where her vanity originated but he had NOT expected to feel emotions of ‘devotion’ and ‘caring’ from such a dark sorceress. Indeed, when he began to sift through these memories, Lady Bane had gone quiet and he realized she was trying to bar herself from feeling these emotions again.  
  
Well, it did make sense. Lady Bane had some idea of the relationships between him and his family, though she did not understand it on the most important level. She did have some knowledge of how it functioned. Why else would she choose to use him if not because she was aware of the hard situation it generated for his loved ones? One could not simply understand relationships without FEELING them on some level. He poked at Lady Bane’s spirit and he got no response, except that she was trying so hard to keep from feeling any of this. _What happened to Jason?_  
  
As soon as Lucki prompted, he felt a strong wave of emotion: dark pain, anger…  
  
And a near pleading from Lady Bane _Not again...  
  
  
  
Lady Bane folded her arms and stared her mother down. They looked like two mirror images staring one another down. While Lady Bane had grown up, she was still a bit shorter than her mother but her spirit had not dampened any. She had been quick to learn simple spells and loving the power it gave her, she sought out more. That was the issue on their latest tiff. Lady Bane had intervened while her mother was speaking with representatives of some odd bear-like race. Lady Bane had noticed the magical aura about them instantly. While her mother wasted time with niceties, Lady Bane had been in no mood to wait. She had charged the startled guests, demanding what powers they held until a sharp pain from her mother had sealed her throat shut until she nearly passed out.   
  
That led them to where they were now. Arguing about the best course of action to take against these creatures. There was one thing the two of them agreed on and that was that magical power was something to be sought. The issues had begun to grow as Lady Bane had grown. Two sorceresses seeking the same thing led to problems always. However, now, it boiled down to Lady Bane actively striking out against her mother, though in small ways. She dare not openly oppose her, not yet. Not yet. She was not strong enough. Oh, she had a plan though. She was gathering strength, power. Jason, patient as always, stayed by her side, trying to keep Mother calm and occupied while she did most of her research. She could not wait until she would conquer her mother. Then, finally, she and Jason would be free of her and oh, the wonderful things she would do then. The power that she would rule with! The things she would obtain!  
  
“You realize what you have cost me?” Mother’s voice was dark, like crumbling stone. A dangerous tone that was only usually spoken before she attacked.   
  
“You should have wretched the information from him!”  
  
The black haired sorceress glared at her younger one, saying, “That is why you will fail, Bane. You are too impulsive.” Despite her anger, she found herself smiling. Oh, her daughter’s incompetence was a sight to behold. While her meeting with the gummi had gone sour due to her daughter’s interference, it could be repaired. Seeing her daughter’s false hope was much more satisfying. “Oh, you gain so much more with honey than vinegar. So, please, by all means, plan your attacks, plan your overthrowing strategies. I will relish in seeing you fail and burn.” She withdrew slightly, her anger seemingly passed as quickly as it came, “You think you know so much, think you have learned so much. Yet you have learned nothing.”   
  
Anger clouding her vision, Lady Bane turned on her heels, snarling at her mother, “I will show you, Mother! While you sit here and play nice, I’ll gain every speck of magic from those creatures. THEN we’ll see who threatens who.” Without another delay, she swept from the room, her anger seeming to follow her like a cloud. Celina merely observed her daughter’s tantrum, pondering her options. As much amusement as Lady Bane gave her, she was gathering more confidence. She was probably the most ambitious of Celina’s children. She could very well prove useful but that spirit would need to be checked. It needed to be controlled and the young woman needed a reminder of who was the real mastermind of this castle.  
  
Musing over the many hints her daughter had displayed over the years, Celina’s lips twisted into a sick grin. Not only would this allow her to regain control back from her spirited daughter, but it would be a good lesson in the strength of relationships. If the interaction of her gummi guests had been any indication, this was something she could not fail to gain more knowledge in.  
  
  
“Little Bane—“  
  
“Jason, stop calling me that, I’m not so little anymore.” The sorceress pushed her long black hair behind her. “I’m not going to sit around here anymore. I am NOT going to be her tool anymore.”  
  
The young man stood, grasped her by the shoulders, “Stop being an idiot!” He chastised her, with a good shake of the shoulders for emphasis. “Yes, you’ve learned a lot! Yes, you’ve gotten good at magic! But damn it, sister, you’re playing with a tiger here!” He looked nearly begging.  
  
Lady Bane narrowed her eyes, “So what do you suggest? We stay her puppets our whole lives? No. I’m better than that Jason! I’m better than her! I’m better than any sorceresses she’s encountered!”  
  
“Little Bane, she’s been alive since the Republic reigned in Rome! Do you have any idea the type of creatures she’s learned from? The magical trinkets she’s stolen?” He shook his head, “You’re still young. She’ll bury you.”  
  
“I’m not meant for this!” She argued back. “I will NOT be a slave for my entire life. Those creatures she had here today. They have means to conquer her, I’m sure of it. I’ll take it. I will not linger here any longer. I AM stronger than her.”  
  
“Are you?”  
  
The twosome turned at the sudden inquiry, finding their mother standing in the doorway. As relaxed as always, swinging about the belt of her dress in amusement. She looked at each of them in turn but set her sights on her daughter. “So, you’re better than me, are you? Stronger than me? More powerful than me?”  
  
Jason swallowed and backed up but Lady Bane refused. She stood tall, “I am.”  
  
Her brother stepped to her side, “Celina, she’s being stubborn, like you are. She—“  
  
Celina said nothing else but raised her hand to her son. The young man stiffened and his fingers coiled tightly on his sister’s arm. The younger girl turned and horror registered on her face.  
  
“Jason!”  
  
Her brother’s normally light skin had paled considerably, his tight and strong face sagged, bags appeared under his eyes and those eyes sank backward. Wrinkles spread like fever over his skin, claiming every section of his body. The bones in his entire body became more protruded as he sank to his knees. Lady Bane sank next to him, her attention off her mother and now focused on her brother. It didn’t take long, maybe a minute before she was on her knees with Jason’s limp and rapidly decomposing body cradled in her arms. “Jason!”  
  
His gurglely response came out as rattle as his lungs failed and the light faded out of his eyes. As Lady Bane struggled to think, to focus, to try and remember a youth spell of any kind, her mother flat out laughed. “Is this the kind of power you mean to challenge me with?” She inquired simply. “Power that you cannot even summon to save your own brother?”  
  
A wetness in her eyes that she was unfamiliar with and the sharp pain in her heart that made it hard to breathe kept her silent. Jason, of all people, had been kind to her. He had no reason to and yet had made himself her protector as she grew. It had done nothing for him but cause him pain and now…now…it had killed him. Lady Bane was no fool. She knew her mother had targeted Jason because of their argument a few moments ago. She was his murderer. Her mother was making an example of her.   
  
And damn it, despite wanting to strike back, to make her pay for this horrific crime, she was unable to move. All she could do was stare at her brother’s lifeless face as the wrinkly skin gave way to bone and muscles and then to ash and dust that slipped away through her fingers like sand. Before she knew it, all that was left of her brother, her protector…her…friend…was a pile of dust within her skirts. She stared at it for a long time. Finally, she gathered her strength and looked up to find her mother less than an inch from her face.  
  
“Let us cut the pleasantries shall we?” Her mother sneered. Lady Bane gaped in shock as she saw the same horrific wrinkles spreading on her own skin. But her mother had not said a word! Nothing at all! “Let this serve as a warning to you. I have no qualms about ending your pathetic life. So, you may choose to be of aid to me or to end up as dust on the floor.” She spat into the remains and swiped some of  it aside with her foot as she stood. When her daughter did not move nor strike out at her verbally, she remarked, “Know that there is much I know you’ve yet to see, and that you shall never see.” The wrinkles faded away from Lady Bane’s skin, leaving her just as she was before, save for the very real fear that [umped through her heart. “For now, clean up that filth. I have visitors coming soon…Little Bane.”  
  
_  
Lucki was silent. He wanted to stop right there. He had no desire to see anymore. Yet, he must. While this certainly gave him knowledge of Lady Bane, of her history, of her origins….he needed to know her connection to Emi, what she knew. He had to know. So, gathering what nerve he could, he delved right back into the dark memories. Though what was more disturbing than anything else was Lady Bane’s silence. Her spirit was still just as awake as before but she had stopped cursing, stopped yelling. As much as Lucki would have longed for this before, the sudden silence was deafening.   
  
As for the adversary within his mind, Lady Bane had nearly forgotten that kind of pain. As much as she wanted to wring the filthy cub’s neck for dragging out these memories, she hadn’t the strength. She had tried to block that memory, to not be drawn into it but…her emotion was so closely linked with that memory that it proved impossible. She had felt all that fear again, that belief that she was going to be extinguished from this world with no victory to her name and shaking in terror. A terrible, embarrassing and humiliating end!  
  
Worse than that though, the emotion about her brother…  
  
She vowed to NEVER become so weak again! To never be so incapacitated again! After her mother had left, she had been unable to make herself move for a long while, simply staring at the dust at her feet and gathering cups of it in her hands. She remembered burying her face into it, that unusual wetness slipping to her cheeks. Rocking back and forth as the idea of seeking out resurrection spells, abandoning her task to outdo her mother to find the spell that could undo death, spells to prolong youth, spells to delay the Grim Reaper. That became her focus…for oh, so long! Then…when she saw this Emi Gummi…and her mother…  
  
 _STOP!_ She screeched at the cub that shared her mind. _Stop! No more digging…I will…I will tell your wretched family what you want to know…but dig no more.  
_  
She had already felt that horrific pain, that pain that ripped at her heart. If he forced the memory of Emi to her forefront…  
  
She never wanted to be that afraid again.


	39. Chapter 39

**_Gummi Glen_ **

  
 Cubbi jumped off the unicorn’s back and gave Tavi a hand as she leapt down as well. They’d borrowed her brother’s unicorn, Sleet, and the journey had been fairly short. A bit odd to be traveling so late at night but Tavi’s emotions were not swayed and Cubbi was hardly about to leave her on her own. All the same, something in Cubbi’s gut felt a bit odd. He hoped that Toni would tell the adults soon so that no one would worry but he also hoped that some of the adults would follow and maybe calm her down. Oh, it wasn’t that he doubted her words nor Destini. Not in the least! There was just…something…that felt off.  
  
 _Must be because I’m tired._ He pondered as they leapt down the nearest entrance and into the old familiar hallways.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
Waking seemed to occur more or less the same time for most of the room. Plucki sat up, slowly, rubbed the back of his neck and glanced about the room. It took a moment for him to get his orientation back, which was normal. Slumber sand was supposed to make you uneasy, off balance, easier to apprehend without resulting to violence. In this case though, the fact that it had been somehow planted into their vents was twisting his stomach. It had cost them time. He didn’t know how long exactly but even the smallest amount of slumber sand would put you out for at least two hours. That had not been a small amount. They had lost hours!   
  
His eyes narrowed at small Lucki as he slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.   
  
“Lady Bane!” He addressed the dark sorceress that secretly had hijacked their poor squire. It was not enough for her to have taken their squire…she had ripped him from death, from peace, and so far had damned his very soul. Now, what crude scheme had she plotted? This smelled of a plot! His eyes reflected every bit of his anger, of his buried fear, of all kinds of emotions. The time for playing diplomat was over! If they needed to find a way to wretch her from Lucki’s body then they would but something was afoot! “What have you done?”  
  
The cub’s body twitched a bit and then gentle Lucki’s face spoke out, with his own soft voice, “She didn’t do…this.”  
  
Clammouring and shouting surrounded the room until Wooddale demanded quiet. She addressed her nephew, again, wishing she could simply free him and banish this evil witch away but she could not. At the moment, their hands were tied and there was little to be done about it. She stayed the other councilors with a raised hand. “Then who did?”  
  
“And why?” Spinwillow chimed in.  
  
A twisted smile that looked so out of place on Lucki’s face. “I think you are all aware of whom. Just say it.” Oh, she enjoyed rubbing in their fear, much as she tried to hide her own. But the blasted cub within her saw right through this charade.   
  
Her twisted smile fell away as Lucki fought with her “No…more…games. **TELL** them.”  
  
Silence for a moment and then the boy’s voice cracked with emotion a bit but it was Lady Bane who spoke out, “Very well, brat.” Lucki’s eyes darted about the room, focused on the large knight of Sir Gumlittle a moment before speaking, “No, I did not work with Emi. She was…intriguing, with all kinds of powers. She achieved much against your supposedly advanced race.” Lucki snarled a bit and then the face paled. Something was obviously being communicated on the subconscious level. “Mother worked with her some. Exchanging ideas, spells, but it was not a partnership meant to last.”  
  
Wooddale narrowed her eyes, “Then you mean you did not harbor her in your palace near the end of the war?”  
  
Lucki felt Lady Bane’s spirit jerk, with fear. Tons and tons of fear that Emi had been in her home. Had she left anything there? How long had she been there? She had not been in the palace since Mother had left with her on a quest towards Gummi Glen and Gummerset. Before the sorceress could take over, Lucki cried out, “She’s scared of her! Her mother slaughtered her own brother, in front of her. Didn’t have to say anything. Just…pointed at him. And her mother died working with Emi! The only person Lady Bane is scared of was killed by Emi—“  
  
“Shut. Up…brat.” The voice changed tone but the very apparent fear on Lucki’s body told more than her words.  
  
Gumlittle spoke out, “Your mother worked with her and died because of it?” He wanted answers. He needed clarification. Lucki’s shouted words made him weak in the knees. Something he had learned over time was that something your enemies feared was something to be greatly examined. He could see the fear, even through his Lucki’s borrowed body. When he asked if her mother had died with Emi, he saw that fear. It was a kind of fear that one could not easily forget, the kind that claims the heart.  
  
“Answer.” Flurryfeather demanded.  
  
“…Yes.” Came the halted answer. “Mother’s magic was developed over time. From sorcerers, from magical creatures like fairies and fey. Mother never hesitated to take a life if it would suit her purpose.” The pause took some time but then she continued, pacing back and forth with Lucki’s body. “She left with Emi to claim one of your Great Books.” She snarled here. “So much could have been avoided if you relented and—“  
  
“Finish.” Lucki’s tone interrupted.  
  
“Mother ventured into one of your hidden tunnels with her. Only Emi emerged.” That was the truth and while Lady Bane had rejoiced with relief upon feeling her mother’s absence from her life, Emi’s appearance had made her fall to her knees. It would have been easy to say it was some kind of magic spell. But no…it had been her look, a simple look that sent her to her knees. The gummi had walked towards her, stated simply, ‘Stay out of my way.’ That voice had dulled Lady Bane’s memory enough that a simple light spell escaped her.   
  
“All I know is that…apparently; Emi…took all Mother’s knowledge.” Lady Bane eyed the entire room. “I do not know how she accomplished it but Mother was centuries old. Emi took what she wanted from Mother and I never saw her again. You say she was…utilizing my palace?”  
  
Plucki nodded, “We’ve a confession of it that we do not doubt.”  
  
Lady Bane’s spirit shook, visibly on the spiritual plan and physically in the real world. The room went quiet for a long moment before Lucki spoke out,  
“You were spared by her twice. Why?”  
  
“I don’t know you foolish bear!” she cursed the boy’s knowledge of her memories. “Why would I? I did not associate with her!”  
  
Berrybottom frowned but what he was about to say was interrupted by the sound of rushing feet in the hallway and Toni shouting for someone. Gumlittle broke his gaze on Lucki and ran to the door, opening it as Toni skidded to a stop, still clutching that magic book to his chest. Wait, had they not entrusted that to Cubbi? “Ton—“ he began and the cub rushed the room, hugging his mentor tightly.   
  
“Gummie, you gotta help!”  
  
Kneeling to the cub’s level, Gumlittle shut out the clamoring in the room, “Toni, what’s wrong?”  
  
“I..dunno exactly. The book tol’ me that Cubbi and Tavi were in trouble.”  
  
The door was crashed in again as the Glen guests, who had been pursuing the running cub came to a sudden stop. Gruffi was the first to speak out, “What do you mean they’re in trouble?”  
  
Plucki, hiding his fear with his stone-cold war face, advanced on Toni, “What happened Toni?”  
  
“Well, Tavi woke up and said that Destini came to her in a dream. Said she knew where Concordia was.” Toni felt that odd fear rush his heart again.   
  
Wooddale paled. “But…that’s impossible! No sorcerer was told the location of Concordia.”  
  
Toni blinked, “They…weren’t?”  
  
“No. It was a secret given only to a select few and all we know is that it was no sorcerer.” Wooddale eyed Toni frantically. “Where did they go, Toni?”  
  
Feeling sick to his stomach, the blue furred cub eyed the paled Glen guests a moment then turned to his Captain, “Gummi Glen. Cubbi went with her to help”  
  
Grammi interrupted the talk, “If it wasn’t Destini than who was –“  
  
“Go after them!”  
  
Lucki’s frantic voice cut through the room like glass and he advanced on his aunt, grabbing her tunic. Lady Bane’s will was pushed aside like it was nothing and there was an odd strength to his grip that she had not yet seen from him. “It’s Emi, Aunt Toffi! It has to be! Think! We know she’s locked in Gummi Glen somewhere. We know her prison is weakening, we know it was sealed with emotional magic! What emotion’s stronger than a love to save a family member? Emi’s using my sister to free herself! Aunt Toffi, Gumlittle, DO something!”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummi Glen_**  
  
  
Venturing into the old forgotten halls had been a task in itself. Even knowing the Glen, Cubbi found that it was hard to find the ancient pathways, even when he knew where they were! For one thing, the Glen was much more packed than it used to be and that included a lot of adults. He’d met some of them before he had gone to train in Gummadoon but overall, they were new faces. It was hard not to get distracted, even knowing the weight of their goal. They’d run into Bonni once. She was one that Cubbi knew the best out of their returned relatives. Apparently, she was Grammi’s _actual_ cousin, at least on some level. Luckily, Bonni did not pursue them much, though she did ask why they had ventured to Gummi Glen so late at night. Cubbi had quickly said they were retrieving some information for the knights that couldn’t wait and that was that.  
  
He didn’t know if she had just opted not to press or if their body language did most of the talking. Tavi’s eyes were focused, narrowed and she still had dried tears on her face. As for himself, he was tired. Extremely so, but he had to stick with Tavi. He could narrow in on something important if he had to. He had to right now…THEY had to right now.  
  
The fact of the matter remained they were on a mission.  
  
They were. A spiritually vital one.  
  
It took some doing to keep the adults from intervening, though Cubbi felt a bit sick doing it. They were trying to do the right thing, trying to save not only Tavi's brother but if what they had overheard was to believed, potentially his very soul. They could hardly wait around. There may be no time to wait. If Destini took the time to warn them...  
  
Cubbi hoped that the knights would understand. That Plucki would understand.  
  
Finally, after what felt like hours, Cubbi had led them past the library, past all the rooms he knew and to a long corridor. At the end was a large door, much like the doors that would lead one towards the large sitting rooms or the library. It was old, with the gummi head reminiscent of all gummi warrens still present in the center, though time had worn it down. That was surprising.   
  
Gruffi always kept everything in tip top order, even if it didn't need any maintenance at all, the gummi was there, finding something to patch, something to repair.   
  
The fact that the door did not look _too_ old was disconcerting. It was a newly erected door. Well, new by gummi standards anyway. What kind of tales about these old tunnels caused so much fear? Well, aside from Emi’s prison being here. Had they just sealed off all the tunnels, not just the one? Had she caused so much fear? They had to be careful here…they had a talisman they were going after but Emi’s prison was down here too. Maybe they could solve two mysteries at once! Though why would they put such a magical talisman so close to the one gummi who could manipulate it like it was nothing? Didn't seem like a great plan to him. Unless it was done purposely that way so the talisman was not misused?  
  
It was confusing and Cubbi hated having no answers. Plus...what would the knights say when they found out he had just taken off, even if they’d told Toni? Even if technically it was Tavi that took off and he followed. Still...  
  
Tavi frowned, eyed him, breaking him out his thoughts, trailing the broken down wood grain with a finger "Does this lead to the locked off tunnels?"  
  
Cubbi nodded, "Yep, must be. Never been in them but this is it. Has to be. First time I've actually been down this hall so far actually."  
  
That made him nervous, more nervous than he felt comfortable expressing. It didn't seem right, being here in the place where he had been born and not knowing anything about where they were venturing. He almost wished he knew the tales and stories about it. That would have been a lot better than not knowing anything! Gum, he hated being in the dark!  
  
Maybe they should have waited for the knights...ran and got the knights…  
  
Tavi took another breath to steady her excitement and nerve, touched her fingers to the door and thick walling behind it. After a moment, the wooden pieces fell like snow around them. Cubbi shielded his head as first wood then stone broke away. Sheesh, this was walled up good! Wiping the dust from his eyes, Cubbi set his sights ahead, nearly gagging at the horrible stale air that invaded his lungs. The dust that tumbled from the doorframe didn't help either but he at least had enough sense to avoid the large beam he saw blocking half the entry way.  
  
Well, not going to stop the smallest squire of Gummadoon, that was for sure! There were advantages to being small he was finding. Slipping through easily, he held a hand out to Tavi and pulled her along. She conjured a small light in her hand. Lifting her head up with her flame as soon as she could stand upright, she shuddered involuntarily.   
  
The hallway spanned out before them, the same as any other hallway in the Glen but this one had obviously not been traveled in centuries. A thick layer of dust covered everything and spiders had made their homes all over the corridor. Looking up, there was a large nest of them that had weaved a rather elaborate web directly over  their heads. A few of the large legged creatures scurried in and out of the holes on the wooden walls.  
  
Tavi drew her light down and darkness took the area over their heads. Cubbi took a firm step next to her and she lifted her hand again, illuminating a small area before them. Cubbi could see the openings of doors as they walked. It looked just like the corridors where all their bedrooms were...except not. The light from Tavi's flame (which was wavering due to it being fire) made the shadows of the cracked doors stretch out, like some many little crooked fingers stretching into the darkness at the end of the hall where the doors gave way to blackness.  
  
Cubbi grasped Tavi's free hand as they wandered down the way, turning every so often to keep an eye on the area around him, the area that he could not see. As the shadows before them seemed to stretch longer and longer, new ones took their place in the corridor behind them. Risking a glance back, Cubbi winced. He couldn't even see the light where they had entered these halls. That wasn’t right.   
  
It was a task to keep his eyes fixated ahead but otherwise the shadows would merely grow longer and far more frightening. As it was, he swore he heard singing, very faint singing. It was old Gummi, he recognized that. Too bad he could not recognize more than that. If he had, indeed, if he and Tavi had known half of the words, then they would not have continued henceforth.   
  
"You hear that too?" he inquired of his companion.  
  
"Yeah," she admitted. "Dunno what it means though. You?"  
  
Cubbi shook his head, "I just asked Corvi to teach me a few words. No clue."  
  
They continued forward as the echoing Old Gummi seemed to grow louder yet still never seemed to penetrate much further than a few feet in front of them. It echoed, like a mist that seeped through and around everything. Quite the cold feeling it left in its wake. To Cubbi, it seemed like it was more...urgent the further they walked.   
  
In a sense, he was right.   
  
The sound got louder. It was no longer a faint whispering but a clear singing, a clear tone that echoed in the hallway. Glancing about, he heard a large crash, making him scream involuntarily even as Tavi grasped onto his left arm tightly. The two of them followed the sound with their eyes, finding it had originated from a cracked door. The door itself was nearly closed and honestly would have been locked if time had no eroded away the metal and wood.  
  
Exchanging looks, it was Cubbi who took the step forward, though he didn't want to. He was the boy though! The knight in training! It was his job to protect the damsel!   
  
Slowly turning the handle, cobwebs nearly blocked the entire view of the room. It was a simple one, with a bed long since rotted away to piles of dust and wooden chips, bug ridden sheets and blankets, a broken down side table with broken bowls and mirrors. More than that though, there were clothes, what little remained, tossed on the ground, a plate cracked in half with a fork long forgotten.   
  
It looked like a person had just run out.  
  
Cubbi withdrew, looked at Tavi, saw that she had opened the room next to it.   
  
Same thing.  
  
This one had been a child's room. Blankets rotted into the ground, a tattered pile of wooden building blocks turned to dust, a doll just lying amid the dying rug pieces as if expected its owner to return at any moment.   
  
Room after room was like this and still, no sign of the mysterious noise maker.   
  
And that singing was getting louder.   
  
The two walked slowly, arm in arm until they reached the dead end of the hall. Frowning, Tavi began to look along the wall, seeking out a panel or something. This couldn't be all there was! There was something here, she could feel it in the pits of her very soul. Cubbi glanced to the right then the left and finally saw it.  
  
The outline of a doorframe, nearly vanished under a veil of dust.   
  
Nudging his companion, he pointed, "Tavi, there."  
  
Blinking, she approached, Cubbi following. Her hand enclosed around the hidden door handle, sneezing as she did so, her hands shaking. Cubbi put his own hand on hers, though he was shaking nearly as badly. "Together?"  
  
She nodded "Together."  
  
The door creaked and moaned and protested but the old wood gave and the forgotten door swung open. This room was different. Everything was neatly packed away, the blankets folded at the end of the mattress. The dresser drawers closed. The chairs neatly pushed in.   
  
And all preserved, as if they were brand new.   
  
Creepy.  
  
Then came the wind, the mist. Mist? Mist inside? You had to have water for mist, right? But they were inside and nowhere near a bathroom with running water. Yet, that was what it felt like, a cold, dark mist pushing against their faces, brushing their hair back as delicately as fingers.  
  
FELT like fingers!  
  
Cubbi shook his head, rubbed his face, _Ew, ew, ew, get that feeling OFF!_  
  
As for Tavi, she followed the wind, stopping in front of a long floor length mirror. As weird as it sounded, it was as if the mist and wind was coming through the glass. Frowning, she put her hands to the frame, turned to Cubbi. "Help me move this, Cubbi."  
  
Reluctantly, the pink furred cub approached, grasped the old ironwork and pushed. It awarded a creaking sound but the mirror moved slightly on the wall only to fall to the ground with a horrible crash and shattering of glass when they released.   
  
In its space was a dark opening, that barely illuminated even when Tavi held out her flame. Though they could make out some stairs.   
  
Then that singing again, but in common this time and Destini's voice! "Come, brave children. You are near."  
  
Tavi's eyes lit up and Cubbi had to rush to keep up with her, even as they darted into the unknown dark. Had they been more focused, they would have noticed the opening they stepped through sealed once they cleared the threshold, the mirror covering back in place, with nary a sign it had been shattered moment prior. They would have noticed the light produced no shadows on the walls. They would have felt the nearly tangible souls tugging at their bodies, pleading for them to stop.  
  
But magic is fueled by emotion and there is no emotion more powerful than love.   
  
Tavi continued on, Cubbi tailing just behind. He had heard Destini, clear as could be but there was something else, something in his gut that said it wasn't right. He didn't know what and certainly had nothing to back up the feeling, aside from that--a feeling.   
  
But there was that Old Gummi singing again. It echoed now.   
  
He wished more than ever now that he knew what they were saying. What would Corvi had told them they were saying?  
  
Well, unbeknownst to the brave children, the voices were indeed invaluable. Had they been able to understand them, they would have heard--  
  
 **"Step not into the cavern, children!"  
"Begone from this corridor of Death!"  
"Treachery wears love's cloak! Step not close!"  
"Beware the reflection!"**  
  
But they knew not what they warned, nor that it was spirits of the lost ones to her rage that tried in vain to prevent another travesty. Tavi kept walking, Cubbi following, though slowing. After they had traveled about ten minutes down a simple hallway, with no portraits, no rugs, nothing but bare walls of stone and dirt, Cubbi froze, touched her arm,  
  
"This doesn't feel right, Tavi."  
  
The pinked furred girl frowned, "Destini said we were close, Cubbi! My brother doesn't have time for this!"  
  
"I know but ...it just feels wrong." Plucki had said that a knight's greatest aspect was his heart, for a heart could not be taught. You either had the heart of a knight or you didn't. Everything else could be taught but if you didn't have the heart of the fighter of Gummadoon, no amount of teaching could grant it to you. So, trust it.   
  
Cubbi's heart was screaming at him.   
  
"Well, then stay here." Tavi snapped. "I'm not stopping now!"  
  
Then she took off at a dead run.  
  
Taking the light with her.   
  
Cubbi blinked a moment, realizing that not a shred of light penetrated these halls. Nothing. It suddenly felt suffocating, crushing. He had never felt so alone. More than ever, he wanted Plucki right there with him, even if he would scold, even if he would punish, heck, Gum, even if the Captain would thrash his behind like Gruffi had once or twice, he would have gladly taken it to just not be so alone!  
  
But he was. Alone, cold, frightened and standing in a pitch black hallway, unable to turn back, too frightened to go ahead.  
  
Looking to his right, he shoved his hand into his mouth to stop the scream.   
  
Pale, translucent forms of gummies, of all ages and genders, decorated the walls, faces frozen in terror, bodies construed in ways that no body should turn.   
  
Jerking to his left, he met the same thing only now, they reached out to him, ghostly arms that clawed at him, cut into his fur. Then one reached further and he found himself staring at what looked like a girl version of himself! Her lips blue and blood running everywhere, everywhere! She was on him, right there and --  
  
"The mirror, do not touch the mirror or she shall get you too."  
  
Cubbi tore from the spirit, screaming visibly now, feet pounding as he ran after Tavi, his breath screeching out, "It's a trick, Tavi!"  
  


* * *

  
  
The room was small when Tavi emerged into it, at least in width. Height wise, it rivaled the Great Library. In fact, perhaps this used to be Gummi Glen's Great Library! After all, the center of learning of the gummies obviously had the largest library, forgotten to the ages! Yes, yes, as she glanced about, that seemed the case. Books upon books upon books lined the walls.   
  
But her attention was drawn to the center of the room where a small pedestal stood. It looked like a Great Book had once sat there but now, there was a rounded golden mirror, forever turning with no base. As she approached, she could feel the power that reeked off of it. When she took the first step up, the mirror froze and Destini's face appeared. Then, the mirror grew until it was well larger than Tavi and she could see all of Destini, her gentle smile bidding her closer.  
  
"Congratulations loyal child."  
  
"This is it?" She inquired, her body quivering. "This'll save my brother?"  
  
"Indeed, brave one. The mirror has no fancy name as it needs none. It repairs or separates, whichever be needed, even in spirit." The elderly lady smiled. "You need only touch the glass, think of your dear one and wish his release." The elderly gummi laid a hand on the glass herself, saying, "I shall aid you, little one. Remember, 'release.'"  
  
Nodding firmly, the gummi girl reached out, her hands shaking, "Release...release..."  
  
"TAVI!"  
  
Though she did not turn her hand away, she did turn her head, to see a bruised Cubbi (she supposed leaving him with no light HAD been cruel) tear at her, screeching at the top of his lungs "IT'S A TRICK! IT'S EMI!!"  
  
"Emi?"  
  
Even as the girl formed the question, her fingers brushed the glass surface and the power came.  
  
It was the most...violating experience she ever recalled. All at once, even as Cubbi grasped her arm a half second too late, an energy tore through her body, to the depths of her bones, boiled in her blood and ripped a chunk of power from her  that made the room swim as she grew so weak she felt certain she would pass out.  
  
Then, the glass beneath her hands faded away and she felt a furry hand clasp her forearm and Cubbi's hand.  
  
Horror registering, the image of wise Destini faded to that of dark violet furred gummi with midnight hair that moved like serpents and a darkened grin that made her knees give out and she saw Cubbi pale to pure white. And eyes...oh Gum. Eyes so dark and black that one could be sucked into them and suffocate in their weight.   
  
Then a second furry hand grasped Cubbi's arm and as she moved forward, she pulled them inward. Like two spirits meeting on a plane, they passed through her (or did she pass through them) and she and Cubbi found themselves suddenly falling, falling into a dark abyss with no visible side or bottom nor any end. Glancing up, they could see her, standing silently, like one standing on a cliff out of reach. Her long hair flowing and a dark smirk on her face as they tumbled out of reach, out of sight, out of mind as Emi Gummi stepped over the mirror frame like a doorframe.  
  
Leaving them alone.  
  
No escape, no way to even tell up from down. Tavi didn't know when she started to scream for her aunt, nor when Cubbi pleaded for the Captain.   
  
And all with her voice, a deep and horrible cackle, echoing…a tone that froze her heart, saying, "Much obliged, little sorceress, little knight. Much obliged."


	40. Chapter 40

_**Secondary Council Chambers**  
  
_   "What in the blue blazes is goin' on?" demanded Grammi.  
  
  "An' who's this kid?" Gruffi waved at the pleading Lucki, still grasping desperately at Councilor Wooddale.  
  
  The councilor's face -- all of them in fact -- had gone white as flour. The knights were no help either as they tore outta the room without a word.   
  
  Finally, the one with the title Flurryfeather answered. "I... I apologize. You're our guests but with this new emergency it's best--"  
  
  "I'm Lucki, Lady Bane is currently possessing me, and now Emi's gonna get both Cubbi and my sister if we don't stop her!" the green-furred cub got out in a rush.  
  
  Flurryfeather had been meaning to spare them all of that, to keep everyone as calm as possible while the situation was thought through, given that their knights had just rushed out.   
  
  At Lucki's words, the Glens surged into the tiny room, squishing Toni to the center and right up next to Lucki. Then everybody started talking at once and nobody could hear a thing, least of all Toni, but he kept the Merlinni book clutched to his chest.  
  
  "You better... get back, Toni." Lucki started to warn, but his legs buckled and his words stopped after that. Thankfully, he was caught by Spinwillow before he fell right to the ground.  
  
  "Land sakes... Tummi, go get the poor dear some water. Can't even stand on his own two feet." Grammi said to the large light blue bear.  
  
  "Okay, Grammi." And you can bet he had no problem leaving the confusing scene behind to try and go find a cup of water!  
  
  "I'm perfectly fine." came the saccarine tone of a stranger from the green cub's mouth. "Toni, may I see that book?" And, oh, did everyone see the hunger in the cub's eyes -- so foreign to gummikind, and he reached for the book.  
  
  Grammi marched forward, yanked Toni away before anyone else had the sense to, and wound her hand back for a mighty slap before anyone knew what was what.  
  
  Councilor Wooddale just managed to grab Grammi's arm before she let loose. "No! Don't!"  
  
  "Why not? That'd teach that witch ta hijack one of yer cubs, an' maybe smack her right outta him, to boot!"  
  
  Amid the eerie mad cackling of Lucki, Wooddale shook her head. "No, it won't. Lady Bane cannot currently leave my nephew. They're stuck as they are for the time being. And... and if more harm comes to him..." Her lower lip trembled.  
  
  Grammi, and now Zummi and Gruffi, came over to stare critically at the boy, saw the intense bruising up and down his body.  
  
  "What's happened to the coor pub -- er, I mean poor cub?" Zummi asked, aghast.  
  
  The Council was again at a loss, for they didn't want to blurt out that the boy had been dead no less than a month ago. But they didn't want to lie about it either. They could say he's sick, he has a condition... It wasn't the whole truth though, and they all knew it.  
  
  "Stop... worryin' about... me." Lucki said, sparing them all, sagging against Spinwillow's. At least Lady Bane had stopped forcing his body to act. It hurt, pushing his body like that, and she couldn't feel it. He sure as Gum did! But she knew to push him more, make him get hurt more, would only speed up the destruction of his body, his soul, and hers. At least, he thought privately, I can be thankful for that. "Just go... stop Emi! Save my... sister... and Cubbi."  
  
  "And don't worry, Lucki." Toni spoke up bravely. "She won't get her hands on this. Won't work for you anyway, ya dumb witch! It's a smart book and only talks to us!" And he even stuck his tongue out at Lucki but of course meant it for Lady Bane.  
  
  While the adults began discussing option, Lucki still struggled to keep Lady Bane from breaking out again. He was losing, he knew, but at least it was all outu there and they knew SHE was in here with him. She was literally drooling to get at the book and he wanted Toni and that book as far away from her as he could keep them apart. Didn't know what that thing was. Just knew that Lady Bane REALLY wanted it.  
  
  _You better behave. I know what your weakness is._ Lucki reminded her.  
  
  _You have no idea what you know and don't know, you stupid child._ she seethed, pacing in her corner, still intent on getting the book.  
  
  _I know you think emotions are weak, are your weakness. That's why you look down on us. We have this great connection and yer afraid of having it yourself, again. Cuz it really ripped you up to have it torn from you. You just sat there and didn't even tell yer mom off for killing your brother._ Oh, he knew he was pushing it but it was a test, see? He had to know.  
  
  She didn't reply. She acted. She sprang from her dark area and began throttling him on a metaphysical level.   
  
  But, as it seemed his body began to deteriorate more, his mind, his soul, remained sharp and appeared to be getting stronger. They wrestled for a bit, and in doing so, no one controlled the body and it slipped into an outward unconscious state, but inside, there was war, and for the first time, he wasn't losing. He was stronger. He could stand his ground. And he did. Whenever she tried to put the choke-hold on his being, he could break it. Each time she tried, one right after the other, seemed to be getting easier to break from. It didn't make sense; his soul, his whole being getting stronger while his body faded; but at this point he'd catch any break he could get!  
  
  _Stop this!_ He yelled at her. _It's a waste of time. We gotta find a way to get Emi, to save everybody, or we're all toast and you know it!_  
  
  _I will not be ordered about by a disgusting emotion-saturated child!_ she screeched back, but then, finally, the battle ceased.  
  
  He... He'd won. Really won this time. Could he do this every time she tried?   
  
  When some semblance of order was established amongst the gathered gummies, attention filtered back to Lucki and each one had the same reaction. It was eerie, real spooky, for everyone gathered to see a really big on the unconscious cub's face.  
  
  That's how Sir Blastus and Corvi found the group.  
  
  Still a little unstable himself, Corvi tried not to show it as he waded into the already-full room and squatted down beside his out-of-it friend.  
  
  "Don't die on me, too. Make a promise, gotta keep it." he said to the green-furred cub.  
  
  "Councillors, where are my brothers?" Sir Blastus asked.  
  
  "Ran out, prob'ly heading for Gummi Glen." Gruffi answered, walking up to the knight who was actually one of the few adults shorter than him. "And they ran off without askin' for help. How the Gum are they supposed to find Cubbi and that Tavi girl without someone who actually knows the place?" he demanded, fuming, before storming out to find the knights in question.  
  
  Zummi trailed after him. "Gruffi, wait! They may have need of a wizard, too, and I know the Glen just as well as you."  
  
  "My left foot, ya do!" Gruffi countered but did not hinder the elder lavender-furred historian from following him. None of the others were volunteering...  
  
  "Hey! He's sorta my brother, ya know!" Sunni surprised everyone by shouting after the pair and then dashing after them.  
  
  Amid the three Glens zipping out, Sir Ecri came upon the tiny impromptu councilroom. He surveyed silently the looks of query, the unconscious Lucki, his mentor Sir Blastus, and then found Corvi kneeling by his ailing friend.   
  
  With a nod to his mentor, Blastus joined him at the doorway. He said in as quiet a tone as he could manage, "Sir Blastus... I've found something disturbing. Lady Cressi is not in New Gumbrea, Ursalia, or any of the others. I'm beginning to think she never left Gummadoon. Do you think Corvi is mistaken? Or is it possible his mother's been--"  
  
  Sir Blastus gave a sigh weighed down by his heavy heart. "Mon ami... Corvi has confessed to me that his mother has died of illness. It is too much to go into at the moment. Cubbi and Tavi it seems have gone to Gummi Glen and have been fooled by Emi. Sir Plucki and Sir Gumlittle may already be en route to that location and I must join them. If she is free--"  
  
  "Then it is even more imperative that we find a way to bind her once more and that means helping the magihistorians and wizards here in unravelling the construction and use of the Gummadoon Staff."  
  
  Sir Blastus blinked at his once-squire. "Sir Ecri, I should join my brothers."  
  
  "And what if Emi has already escaped? What if she is headed here now? We need answers, and we need a strong defense. I do not think it wise to leave Gummadoon without all three of its strongest knights. I've heard rumor that Corvi mentioned Lady Bane's palace may hold some clues? If this is true, we must send a group immediately, but not just magicians. Knights as well, for there are bound to be traps in that witch's lair."  
  
  "I hate to say I was overhearing but you should really take that cub with you." Gusto spoke up, indicating Lucki.  
  
  "You may not be aware, mon ami, but he is quite frail right now..."  
  
  "Even so, you may not be aware but Lady Bane's in there with the kid and she doesn't like Emi any more than we do."  
  
  "What?!" The shock on Sirs Ecri and Blastus's faces silenced the whole room, as did their twin exclamation.  
  
  "It's true." Wooddale admitted. "She's been in Lucki the whole time. Possession. And I agree that we must move forward quickly. Even if Lucki is not awake yet, he, and the witch inhabiting him, will prove invaluable -- as long as she cooperates. Berrybottom and I will come with you to Lady Bane's palace, Sir Ecri. Sir Blastus, we must have a strong presence here with much battle experience and you are the most qualified. Sir Ecri? Can you manage my nephew?"  
  
  He gave a silent nod and waded into the room to accept the boy from Councilor Spinwillow.

* * *

  
  
 ** _In the Depths of Gummi Glen_**  
  
Emi Gummi stretched, step her feet upon solid ground for the first time in centuries. Unable to help it, she whirled around, letting her long black hair flow free. Free! Finally! So many damn centuries, so many years, confined to that hell of a prison. Her waiting had paid off in spades! She was finally able to walk free once more! It had taken so much planning, so much manipulation and she had to admit, she was quite tired because of it. That fatigue though, would soon pass and she could hardly wait to finish what she had started all those years past!  
  
Shifting her step, the gummi woman approached the mirror that had served as her prison for the past 500 years. The crystal clear surface, stretched to be the height of the blasted cubs that had ventured here, reflected her own dark presence back at her. She couldn’t help a smile as she finally gazed from the outside in. For so long, she had been forced to stare at it from the inside out, though one could hardly call it staring. You could see some of the atmosphere and environment from the inside out but it was horribly distorted, like looking through a broken glass frame or through one that was clouded with ice and fog. She had gazed out into this empty chamber many a time.   
  
Frowning a bit, she observed her reflection.  
  
500 years had aged her considerably. She would need to regain some of her prime age before she could act. That was easy enough. Stealing youth from a person was quite simple in reality. Lady Bane preferred the long method of taking the youth slowly, day by day. While hers took less energy, Emi would be quite willing to sacrifice a little energy to get into her prime again quickly. It would take some careful planning but it was also a method through which her youth could not be stolen away again, unlike Lady Bane’s. She was well aware of Lady Bane’s need to utilize an old Latin spell because the gummies had stripped her youth from her in the last war. There was a far more assured way. Take youth from someone in one fell swoop until they collapsed into dust. Given the long life of gummies, she would need to take five or so humans to achieve her goal but that was easy enough. If it could not be wretched from her then it was worth the extra time and planning. Humans were fools, easy to ensnare.  
  
Speaking of fools…  
  
She summoned the mirror to shrink which it did accordingly. Taking it in her hands, she smirked, calling to the two little lost souls within it. They would be drawn to reply, whether they wanted to or not. That was the curse and benefit of a prison based on emotion. Oh, the many times she had been forced to respond when her clan members, those that remained, had called, pleaded with her. It had been like that for a few years…before her curse because known. Oh, they had stopped the majority of her magic but not all of it. Once they saw the kind of power she could still manifest even from a prison, the visits and pleads had stopped. Those who were blood-linked to her were long dead and the clan members remaining…fear control their actions. They dared not venture near.  
  
Yet, she still remembered how to create such a call. Gummi spirits were odd that way. Once you understood it, the spirit of a gummi could truly do amazing things.   
  
Sure enough, slowly, she saw the frightened faces of two young children appear in the mirror. Their spiritual forms, as all who entered the mirror prison reverted to that. It was supposed to “allow the soul to heal” more readily or some kind of nonsense like that. In any case, oh, how she loved to see such fear reflected in those young eyes. Young Tavi, shaking visibly and young Cubbi looking near tears. Pressing their palms against the entrance but not being able to pass through. Oh, how she loved seeing the situations reversed.   
  
Pressing her nose against the glass, she laughed, “Oh, good luck getting out of there. I tried for 500 years. Thanks for opening the door for me!”  
  
She utilized a little magic here, just a smidge, just enough to freeze their reactions in the glass. Their wide eyed faces, their petrified eyes. It was a simple enough duplication spell. Even as she saw their spirits retreat back from the surface, fall into that dark abyss, their terrified glances remained imprinted on the glass. It would make a nice memento to greet their families with when they came; she was certain that they would be. Oh, she supposed she could have left them to simply wonder about the fate of the two but it was so much more satisfying to know that the very thing they had created to keep her encaged now would entrap their children as well. So…ironically satisfying.  
  
She threw the mirror, hard into the cold floor where it promptly shattered into dozens of pieces. Glass shards, of all sizes, went everywhere. Yet, still embedded within them were those small, wide eyed, scared-to-death faces, pressed against the glass, screaming for aid with voices that could not be heard.  
  
Emi made sure to crush one with her foot as she walked out.


	41. Chapter 41

__**Gummadoon Courtyard**  
  
Gruffi barely managed to catch up with the knights as they headed towards the stables, where the unicorns were kept…no,  they actually weren’t going that way. Did they mean to run there on foot?!   
  
No, they were turning just ahead and Gruffi could see a field, with grazing unicorns. They looked strong enough but hardly the stallions that they had seen when they last came here. The knights weren’t wasting any time. Not even bothering to grab their usual steeds. For Gruffi, that was a good sign. He didn’t think they were going to treat Cubbi and Tavi’s disappearance and mishap lightly but for some reason, seeing such urgency and no-nonsense expressions on their faces, the way they didn’t even speak, just moved, well, it comforted the bear that all that could be done WOULD be done.  
  
And Gum help him, he was comin!  
  
Zummi and Sunni were not too far behind him as he advanced on the knights, Plucki especially, but that wasn’t where his thoughts were right now. His thoughts were on Cubbi! The legends of Emi had always been simple stories to him and frankly, he’d never taken much interest in them. That just wasn’t his thing. However, he did know the darkness he had felt in that hallway. It had chilled him to his bone and he would never forget it. He could still recall every single moment of that day.   
  
And it had been the death of poor Cubbi’s mom to boot! No, he would not fathom something that…twisted…taking his youngest cub as well!  
  
“Hey!” He called as the knights tore through a gateway and began to pull unicorns from the field. No talk still, just rapid grasping of horse hair and pulling themselves up on the mares’ backs. They weren’t grabbing saddles or reigns or anything, just swinging on up, bare back! Good, speed was what they needed! “Ya need a guide for the Glen! How in fur are you gonna find those cubs if ya get lost in the process? The Glen ain’t small!”   
  
That was an understatement to be sure. Gruffi had grown up in the Glen and if you went deep enough, you could still get lost unless, like him, you took the time to really understand the guts of the place and how it was laid out. They needed him!  
  
Zummi came up behind them, huffing and puffing, “Ruffi’s gright, er, Gruffi’s right! Bring us along!”  
  
The three knights, Gumlittle, Plucki and Ramsei turned briefly as they got a grip and control on the unicorns, but they barely had a chance to give a reply of any sort before Sunni pushed her way past Gruffi and Zummi and pulled herself up behind Sir Ramsei. “We’re coming with you, let’s go!” Her sharp tone was reminiscent of another female they knew and it wasn’t Grammi. It certainly had the desired effect though!  
  
A bit surprised by her forwardness, Ramsei didn’t argue, looking to his Captain. Plucki didn’t give a verbal reply but extended his hand down to Gruffi, with Gumlittle following suit with Zummi. Grateful that no arguments were going to slow them down, the two Glen bears accepted and grabbed a firm hold on the knight’s sides as soon as they were settled. Riding unicorns bareback was something the knights hardly ever did (and the Glen gummies NEVER did) but given the urgency of the situation, they had no time for proper arrangements. They had to move!  
  
Gruffi eyed Sir Plucki as he settled. He, again, saw a similar urgency in Plucki’s eyes that he felt in his own heart. His previous anger at having been completely left in the dust faded at that. He had to admit, he had been nearly ready to just tear out of the room without thinking too! So, the faster they got to the Glen, the better! “Take the route through the forest.” Gruffi pointed ahead and to the right. “First few feet is rough but then it’s all path. Straight shot!” Granted, he knew the knights most likely were aware of how to get to the Glen but they didn’t have time for the easy route. They’d most likely get some cuts and bruises from the undergrowth for their trouble but that wasn’t important right now! **CUBBI** was important right now!  
  
Plucki wasn’t talking much. The only response he gave to indicate he had even heard the Glen patriarch was to turn the unicorn in the direction he was pointed. He nudged the mare with his ankles, saying, “Swift as the wind blows, girl!”   
  
It was so rare for a ride to be silent but this was what the ride to Gummi Glen was. Dead silent. Everyone remained silent, with the only sound being the heaving of chests and the hoof beats of the unicorns pushed to their absolute limits. The heaving of the mares’ breathing under normal circumstances would have driven the knights to take a forced stop but this time, they urged them “faster, faster.” Plucki’s eyes were locked ahead, all his previous fatigue pushed aside and forgotten. All he could think of was that he had to reach Cubbi, Tavi too, but his thoughts admittedly were primarily on his squire. As the branches tore by his face, he pushed them aside with a harsh jerk of the arm. More than once, he felt the Glen bear behind him tighten his grip as they leapt over fallen logs and through bushes. Though, as horrible as it felt to admit it, had the Glen Gummi fallen off, he most likely would not have noticed.   
  
Plucki kept seeing his squire, over and over. Those bright shining eyes, brighter than any cub he had been blessed enough to interact with. His mind could only repeat finding those eyes forever shut. He had seen what Emi did to gummies and she made no exceptions for cubs. If anything, she seemed to be crueler with children! The thought of finding Cubbi like he had found so many other cubs…like when they had arrived too late to save Bera. A playground filled with cubs literally struck dead in mid-play. Those horrified faces locked open forever in an unanswered plea for help…if he found Cubbi like that…  
No! No, he could not allow himself to think that way! Toni had alerted them quickly.  
  
There was still time!   
  
He pleaded with his heart to stop its hurting, to stop its crying. There was no time for that. They had time to save the cub!  
  
Time to save **his** cub!  
  
There HAD to be time.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Enroute to Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
Sir Ecri had to admit that he was not used to leading an expedition. That usually went to the more experienced knights or if it was between himself and Yaci, it always fell to Yaci. That was not an option now though. His brother was gone and he was the one that had started the investigation. He was going to finish it. There was way too much at stake here. So, here they were, his little small band of investigators. Himself, Sir Horli, Sir Kai, Councilor Wooddale, Councilor Berrybottom, Grammi, Gusto and Lucki resting in his lap. While Gusto and Grammi were not knights, they had been to this witch’s castle before, according to Grammi. That kind of knowledge could prove to be invaluable, especially since they were going on an exploration for any answers they could find.   
  
Ecri glanced down at the cub in his arms. Lucki’s eyes had opened, briefly but he glanced ahead sightlessly, not really seeing anything. It made the knight’s blood boil to see the innocent boy be pushed through the torture this witch insisted on inflicting just for her own sick pleasure. The violet colored knight truly looked forward to when they would force her out and perhaps…maybe then, young Lucki…perhaps they would be able to find a way to stabilize him and he could live out his life. Much as the thought of him being unnaturally resurrected made him sick and quiver a bit, it was hardly Lucki’s fault. If they could pry SOME good for this circumstance.  
  
“So, he’s Tavi’s bro?” The sky blue gummi behind him asked. Gusto had taken up a seat behind him on his unicorn while Grammi rode behind Sir Kai. Kai was keeping a pretty steady pace with him. The councilors and other knights rode a bit behind. The group up front knew where they were going after all. The sky blue gummi mentioned having been here once or twice while Grammi stated the woman had caused such turmoil for her clan that they had been forced to visit here many a time. Apparently, Gusto was normally the jovial one. Now though, he was all business.  
  
Ecri turned just slightly as he answered, “Yes. Tavi is Lucki’s little sister. They’re the children of Councilor Wooddale’s younger sister.”  
  
Grammi’s interested look was silenced with Sir Kai adding, “Please, do not ask Wooddale on that. Lady Ameri, or Amaulthea as she was known to some, and her husband Sir Glenfield were lost during the last war.”  
  
A nod of understanding before Grammi inquired, “What about the poor dear’s bruises? He looks like he’d shatter like glass!”  
  
Silence reigned for a long moment before Gusto prodded, “IS it that bad?”  
  
Ecri took a heavy breath before remarking, “It is not an easy topic. Lucki is Sir Gumlittle’s squire—“  
  
Grammi allowed a small smirk, “And dear to Corvi’s heart if what I saw was any hint.” She had to admit, despite the fear ripping through her heart about Cubbi, about Emi, about all this horrific stuff, seeing that blond haired dear come in and immediately drop to the green furred cub’s side…that was a devotion that was so pleasant to the heart to see. In times like this, especially in times like this, enjoying those small moments, those little moments of compassion, of love and devotion, that was how you survived it!  
  
Ecri nodded, “Yes,” he diverted his eyes down to the blank-stared cub, “Those two have been friends since they were in diapers.” Allowing himself just a hint of a smile at the memory, he added “When Corvi became a page, Lucki followed within days of his birthday that made him old enough.” He didn’t feel like adding that he had been fairly close with the boys as well. He’d been a squire, an older squire when the boys were pages but he remembered it well. That comradery was not easily dismissed or forgotten. His former disgust with the prospect of Lucki’s circumstances had been replaced with determination. To find he had been a victim of Lady Bane’s, that he had been wretched from his rest to possibly die an eternal death…  
  
The reminder of all the things the boys had endured together¸ old pleasant memories lighting through his mind, he was more resolved than ever that young Lucki must have a happy ending. He WOULD have a happy ending. Nothing else would satisfy him.   
  
Gusto eyed Ecri, narrowing his eyes, “So, what’s wrong with the lil’ squirt then? Grammi and Gruff tol’ us about the process to get …to get Cubbers started. You wouldn’t have let him start if he was so breakable.” Gusto had a lot more faith in the knight training program than that. Their potential knights had to have a certain amount of physical strength, or if nothing else, they had to have a lack of physical limitations. You could overcome some physical limitations but he was pretty sure that if you bruised if someone looked at you funny, you would be politely refused knighthood.   
  
Ecri gave a second firm nod, “No, you’re correct, we would not have.” He took another deep breath, glancing backward. Councilor Wooddale, while close, was not close enough to be disturbed by this conversation. He did not want to disturb her with unpleasant memories but the two Glen gummies DID have a right to know the depth that this sorceress had dropped. From their talk, they had seen their share of horrendous activity from the witch but he was fairly certain that the depth of her deplorable actions had been significantly increased from what they knew. “Lucki was always a very healthy child. Hardy and tough. Lucky as can be, hence his name. Born early and sickly but it didn’t last long. He plowed through training, fast as anything. He entered the last war to give his aid and ended up saving Sir Gumlittle.”  
  
Grammi bit her lower lip. Her heart was telling her that something absolutely appalling was coming but she had to know. She needed to know what they were dealing with, despite her desire to ignore the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Taking an inhale, she exhaled, long and hard, “Brave little dear.” She wasn’t really sure what she wanted to say. It was true, such an action was brave and courageous but there was something about the knight’s voice  that made her heart-sick. She wanted to not hear anymore and yet she felt she must. She wanted to push Lady Bane out of the cub with her bare hands. She wanted to pull the poor child close and smother him with a hug but if he was so breakable…Gum, no one should break so easily… “To run into danger like that..”  
Gusto locked sights with her, catching the hidden emotion in her voice. “Can’t say it surprises me with these guys.” He had to admit, he was a bit surprised, given how young Lucki was (he guessed he was about 10 or 11)  but if the squires were being homed into the knights of Gummadoon, he supposed it had to start somewhere. Still, to picture a cub not much older than Cubbi rushing onto the battle field…it gave him shudders.   
  
Ecri waited a moment, “Lady Bane took advantage of his naiveté after his victory to attack him. I still…am unsure what she used. Some type of magical mist that solidified when she desired. Grabbed the boy in strangle so intense it choked off his air.”  
  
The two gummies were silent, just waiting. Ecri said nothing more, setting his sights ahead, nudging his unicorn along. He did not want to say what happened next. It may have been silly but…well, saying it aloud, it just was painful. As much as it probably sounded foolish and petty, not saying it seemed to make it less real. It was the same regarding his brother’s death. Aside from the battle and his snapping at Sir Blastus right afterwards, he had yet to say it aloud. He knew that their allies needed all the information but his tongue fell flat.  
  
It was probably a good five minutes before Grammi inquired, seeing the knight was not about to add anything. “What happened to him? Gum knows that Lady Bane’s spells aren’t always noticeable at first…” That had to be the explanation for his bruised body. She knew it in her bones! What kind of trickery had the sorceress pumped into this poor cub!? What had she done to his body? Her mist must have done something to his skin, to his muscles, to his blood. Gummi immune systems were some of the most advanced in the world! Yet after this cub had been in Lady Bane’s clutches, after that blasted sorceress had possessed him, he was literally falling apart!  
  
“Same thing that usually happens when you get strangled long enough.”  
  
Ecri turned his attention to the preteen in front of him at the sound of the boy’s voice. The cub blinked a few times and Ecri saw the familiar spirit of Lucki take control. The green furred squire sat up, slowly, taking on a riding stance, no surprise. The cub had been riding since he was so young that it was probably instinct now. The gentle toned boy turned his eyes to Grammi and finished his statement, “I died.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Secondary Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
Toni shifted his eyes up, silent for a long moment. So much had happened within the past few minutes that his young head was still spinning. The group of knights taking off, the Glen guests rushing off, the re-emergence of Sir Ecri into talking-not-sad-zombie-like state and then the entire room suddenly being as empty as it was less than a few hour ago. Only one of the councilors and a handful of knights remained, with Sir Blastus talking intensely with two of them. He found a break in his conversation and planning to turn and address the remaining two children: Toni and Corvi.  
  
Corvi was quiet, lost in that deep thinking look he sometimes took on so Blastus turned and smiled gently at the blue furred cub. The cub looked tired but he was hardly going to suggest he try to sleep. He wouldn’t be able to. Blastus understood the council’s choices and heck; his former squire Sir Ecri had several good points. He understood, from a tactical point of view, the reasoning and he would fulfill his duty as best he could. That being said, it didn’t mean he was not worrying about everyone! There was a reason the three key knights of Gummadoon usually went into battle together. They worked off one another flawlessly. It felt…odd to be without them.  
  
Blastus had been there when—  
  
“Blastus?” Young Toni’s words cut into his thoughts again. He shook his head to clear his mind and diverted his attention back to the young squire. He’d been trying to focus his attention on Toni only for it be lost amid all the what-ifs. He needed to stay attentive. The cubs especially needed it right now. Much as he felt fear running through his heart, for multiple reasons, to let it rear its head and petrify others, especially children, was not acceptable. He forced his war face to take control again; Gum, Plucki was so much better at that…  
  
“Qui, Toni?”  
  
“Is…is there something I can do? I…don’t like just standing here!” Toni felt fidgety. Everyone had split and run off into separate directions so quickly. Only one council member left, three knights that were doing a really bad job at not looking scared, only Tummi of the Glens was left (he’d returned with the water Grammi had requested after everyone had dispersed) so that left him, Corvi and Tummi almost alone in the room with Sir Blastus. What had felt like a room full of hope and protection less than five minutes ago suddenly felt empty and cold. He hugged the book closer to his chest, wishing all the evil, horrible things to just be brushed away like they always were in stories. It was a stupid wish but all the same…  
  
Corvi turned his sights to Blastus, taking a stand next to Toni, “Yeah, we should be doing something!” What he was not exactly sure, despite racking his brain over it but Gum there had to be something…  
  
“And we are.” Blastus assured them. “I’m making preparations for our troops to be on guard. The council is beginning their own research with what we have. You two—“  
  
“Blastus..” Toni snarled, “If you tell us to go to bed or not to worry about it, I swear I’m gonna kick you.”  
  
The knight gave the boy a warning glance, a rare look from the jovial knight, “Non,” he assured him, biting down his remark about the boy’s tone (he could hardly blame the cub for thinking such things) “I would not do that. You deserve more than that. I know you want to follow our amis but we have different roles we have to play.” He raised his hand for silence before Toni could even open his mouth, “That means something for you as well, little Toni.”  
  
Interest peeked, his ears perked up and he stepped a bit closer, “What can I do?”  
  
Blastus eyed the boy, “I want you to protect that book.”  
  
Toni groaned, “But I—“  
  
Blastus knelt down a little bit and set his sights on the cub’s eyes, “I know you may think I’m dismissing you but I’m not, mon enfant.” Blastus’ entire face looked different. No more jovial playing around, just a stern, serious glance that seemed usually to be reserved for Plucki. It was easy to forget sometimes, with Blastus being so playful, that he was also one of their best knights. You didn’t become third-in-command for no reason. “That is a vital role.” He put his hands on Toni’s, gave them a tight squeeze. “It seems like the book only responds to us but there may be ways around it, mon ami. I don’t want Lady Bane or Emi getting their hands on it. You’re tres imaginative, Toni. Do I need to tell you what might happen?”  
  
Shaking his head, Toni tightened his grip on the book. “Uh uh. What should I do with it?”

Blastus frowned, “Keep it close. Go to the most secure place you can find in the palace. I’m going to send two knights with you. When the others return, we’ll regroup. If you can get any more information from that book, great!”   
  
Toni expected to be excited when he was given a mission, given something to do. He didn’t feel like that anymore. Much as he wanted to rush after Cubbi and Tavi, much as he wanted to go with the others to Lady Bane’s, he suddenly felt a desire to curl into a ball.   
  
Protecting the book, while not the most glamorous of jobs, held a great deal of weight to it. Who knew what was in this book? Apparently, it was the entire memory of one of their old wizards! That ol’ guy probably knew a ton of stuff! With what Lady Bane had done…had made HIM do…without the book, Gum only knew what she would be able to accomplish with it.  
Swallowing his fear, though his young voice still trembled some, he eyed Sir Blastus, “I..I can do it.”  
  
With a gentle smile, the French knight thumbed the boy’s nose. “Qui, I know you can—“  
  
Biting his lower lip, Toni inquired, “Can…I pick who gets to come with me?” Almost as soon he said it, he slapped his forehead. With all the things going on, he was being petty enough to actually request certain knights to be with him? “Sorry,” he said simply. “I..”  
  
Blastus chuckled, “Don’t worry, Toni. I was planning on sending Quimbi and Rudi with you. You do well with those two, do you not?”  
  
Toni wasn’t too fond of Rudi but Quimbi was alright. Besides, with the kind of things they had at stake here, who was he to be protesting? They had no time for that! So, he hardened his face and gave a fierce nod. “Don’t worry Blastus.” He said with a harsh fierceness to his form. Tightening his grip on the book so hard his knuckles turned white under his fur, he narrowed his eyes, unaware that such a face while intimidating on an adult, made him look more like he was pouting than anything else, stating, “No one’s gettin’ their hands on this book. I give my word.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Within Emi’s Prison_**  
  
So dark!  
  
It was emptiness! Pure emptiness where you just fell and fell and fell! Cubbi couldn’t even see Tavi anymore though, he was sure she was close. He could hear her but yet he couldn’t see her. He couldn’t really smell anything either! He really couldn’t see anything. There was nothing to see! He felt queasy and sick, as he felt like he was falling and falling with no relief, no end! The small patch of light that he had seen Emi’s face in had vanished in a shattering of color and he could see nothing else. Just empty space and darkness.  
  
Idiot. He was an idiot. He should have listened. He knew better. He should have…  
  
What had they done? They’d let her out. Her, the one gummi they had been trying and trying to keep imprisoned and they’d let her out! Gum knew what she was doing! She might be attacking their friends and family this very minute and it was all their fault! Their fault! They’d damned their whole race! They’d signed a death mark on all their loved ones. The horrible massacres they had grown sick simply hearing about were going to become cold hard facts again! Images of gummies being torn to pieces, the Glen burning, the kingdom of Dunwyn being ripped apart…  
  
Cubbi screeched as the air around him suddenly became filled with water and fire. It really...well, there was not a good description for it, despite how he tried. The nearest thing he could come up with was, well, the rain was on fire! The falling drops burned and froze all in the same motion while he continued to fall and fall. He was usually a cub that loved a good ride and jumping and darting quickly was a game he normally loved. Here though, his stomach seemed continuously caught in his chest as the dropping never seemed to cease! There was nothing for him even to collide with!  
  
It was so hot! The burning rain hurt!   
  
And lonely! His eyes darted about for Tavi, again and he called out for her.   
  
Nothing.  
  
Well, okay, that wasn’t quite true. There was sound. Screaming, yelling. Crying. He didn’t know from where but he could hear it. Tears of someone that was scared to death. Screams of someone pleading for mercy. He didn’t recognize any of the voices. Emi’s victims, maybe? Then, just when he thought it could not get any worse, it did. The voices that were screaming in pain, screaming in panic, screaming for mercy shifted, morphed, became voices he DID know. The screams of fear turned into Zummi’s cries of despair. The screams of pain became Sunni’s. The screams for mercy became Grammi pleading for someone to spare the cubs. The shouts of protest shifted into Plucki and Gumlittle’s vocals. The cries of rage and frustration became Gruffi’s.  
  
Was this real? Had he…was this happening? Right now?  
  
Despair, fear, sadness so heavy that it was suffocating enveloped the cub.  
  
 **Cubbi, help me!**  
  
The entire landscape around him changed. Not to anything specific per say but it was almost like the backgrounds of everywhere he had been had been combined into one simple environment. He saw the flooring of the Glen, the walls of Dunwyn, the furniture of Gummadoon, even the birds and animals that he had seen on his many adventures. They were all suddenly there, romping about even though it made no logical sense whatsoever. Outside trees and burning rain and the Glen, Ursalia and Gummadoon all in one.  
  
But in the center of it was still that voice, that voice he knew well. Turning about, he found himself face to face with Sunni. She was right there, in front of him! But, Gum, not how she should be! Blood, bruises, dirt and mud turning her yellow fur nearly brown. Tears running down her face, her clothing torn. Cubbi could not see what pursued her but he didn’t need to. Truly, didn’t he KNOW what chased her? KNOW what caused such horrible injuries to his heart-sister? KNOW that it was his fault?  
  
He barely caught her in his arms when she stumbled before her eyes went dark as ice and she literally shattered into dust in his grip. Blood poured everywhere…  
  
 **Cubbi, how could you have let her go…**  
  
Whirling around, Cubbi found himself right next to another familiar face. “Gruffi!”   
  
Sure enough, there he was, that parental figure that Cubbi’s heart had known since before he could recall. But, just as his sister, he was full of bruises, coated in blood, with fur literally tore from his body. There were patches of just skin that were a horrible, raw, red color. Cuts, gashes, and wounds just seeping blood and ash seemed to cover his whole form. He was crawling to him, yet still carried that strong tone, that unrelenting seriousness that always had carried them through such trials. But when he got closer, Cubbi nearly threw up, seeing that there was little to nothing past the bear’s knees.   
Just torn, bloody stumps.  
  
Then, just like Sunni, when he rushed him, he shattered away in a flood of brown and red.  
  
 **Cubbi, I told you to stay in Gummadoon.**  
  
Gum, no. The cub jumped up, ran at Plucki when the knight came into view. Yet, even as he got closer, he knew this could not be real. It couldn’t be. He didn’t want it to be. Yet, everything was right in front of him, he was seeing everyone he loved dying. The image of Sir Plucki was no different. He stood there, blood running down his entire body. Cubbi couldn’t even see the golden fur. When he approached, when he got closer, he threw his hands over his mouth when he saw no eyes where those gentle soft gazes usually waited.  
Falling to his knees, or as much as one could fall at all in this weird place, the squire covered his face with his hands, shaking. Afraid to open his eyes again, he gulped and bit down a sob at the mass of faces that appeared and disappeared around him. Friends he knew, people he loved, folks he knew so well. His heart broke in his chest and when those images finally vanished away in a wash of blood that felt and smelled so real that he nearly threw up, he screeched aloud and the air around him exploded into burning water, flame and thunder.  
  
The pink furred cub clamped his hands over his ears as tears erupted from his eyes, only to be dissolved into steam in the hotness of the environment. Imsorryimsorryimsorry! He screeched over and over, his voice lost amid the howling, amid the screaming, amid the…dying.  
  
His clan was dying.  
  
His friends were dying.  
  
His dear mentor was dying.  
  
He’d killed them! Everyone dear to him was dying! Everyone that he was training to protect, he had killed them all! If not like this, then soon! They were all going to die!  
A horrible sinking feeling took him, like he was stuck in a tar pit and it was slowly pushing him down, absorbing him, pushing on him so hard that everything was blank and empty. He’d killed them all…  
  
 _ **Cubbi!**_  
  
A sharp tone made his eyes fly open and a hand grabbed hard onto his wrist. For a moment, he thought Tavi but no, no, it wasn’t. It was similar at first glance but it wasn’t her. Gum, where was she in this mess? Lost like he was? Was she seeing the horrendous things he was? Was she near? Was she far? Had she survived this fall or had she actually hit the ground? Was she somewhere else entirely? How was he supposed to find her in this mess of a place? Gum, what was he going to do…  
  
 ** _Cubbi!_**  
  
The voice jerked him back to the present moment and he glanced at whomever had grasped his hand. They had slowed his fall…float…whatever it was here but still he was a little below his savior. Eyes wide, Cubbi blinked.   
  
Then blinked again.  
  
He had to still be seeing images because he was looking at himself…wait, no. No, not him.  
A cub that looked a lot like him was staring down at him, with a strong grip on his wrist. Pink fur, no clothes but Cubbi saw that he was in the same state (he’d never noticed it because of all these horrific images) but the cub’s hair was quite curly, almost like little ringlets all over the cub’s head. His eyes were concerned, soft and Cubbi swore he had seen them before though for the life of him, he could not recall where. Staring, thinking, he gaped a little, swallowed, then asked, “Who are you?”  
  
 _ **“Aldi Gummi.”**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**Lorath Wood**  
  
_ Cool wind, actual wind! Being stuck in a formless prison for so long made anything that was solid and real deeply desired. So, despite her knowledge that she would need to work quickly, Emi Gummi took a moment to let the wind blow through her long hair. It felt so wonderful that she stood there, for a moment, amid the trees of Lorath Wood and just let the breeze blow. Oh to be free from that blasted prison, to be free to claim what was rightfully hers and to make those who had dared to try and stop her pay…  
  
 _First things first,_ she coached herself. _Strength. I’ve aged since I was put in that prison. I need to get that back first._  
  
Simple enough. Lady Bane’s youth spell that she normally utilized was sufficient but she needed to alter it a bit to become permanent. She did not need to attack right now, in fact, that would be ill-advised. She had learned over her many centuries that patience was always the best method. That was how she had achieved her previous victories and that was how she would achieve this one. She would get her youth and strength back, infiltrate her enemies’ stronghold and then strike when  they were most vulnerable.  
  
And speaking of vulnerable, the pathway she was currently walking was a favorite for travelers and merchants. Folk that would hardly be missed should they go missing.  
  
And they were going to go missing permanently.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Halls_**  
  
“Blastus!”  
  
Sir Blastus turned, pulled from his attempt to coordinate several knights to increase their defenses. Toni had been swept away with Quimbi and Rudi and the remaining gummies had vanished to their positions. The knights were waking any extra forces they could, save the ones that truly could not be pulled for fear of utter exhaustion, the counselors were swarming the library and that left Sir Blastus to command positions of defense. Not his favorite thing to do but he was most qualified. It gave him a sense of purpose, that he was doing something…  
  
Hence, here he was, rushing about the upper towers, calling commands left and right, gathering who he knew to be the best lookouts, the best infantry, the best spies…despite the late hour, the knights of Gummadoon were a flurry of commotion, all the while trying their best not to alert the populace. A panic was not going to help matters in the least. So, while remaining stern and strict about the importance, the rearranging of Gummadoon’s defenses was done in relative quiet.   
  
“Sir Blastus!” his name was called again. Turning, he saw his pursuer rushing up the nearby stairs. Corvi, his poor little Corvi, approached him, saying, “Blastus, I’m going after them to the Glen.” It wasn’t a request, it was a plain statement. A statement that the cub followed up by swiftly walking past him and for the stairway that led for the exit to the courtyard nearest the stables.  
  
Oh, that got his attention. “Corvus!”  
  
Shaking his head adamantly, the cub stated, “Toni is going to be protecting the book, I don’t need the other boys panicking, Lucki is helping them explore Lady Bane’s palace, _I_ need to do something!” The desperation in the boy’s voice was heart-breaking. This was too much for anyone to cope with all at once. How was Corvi maintaining? Blastus was NOT going to let his squire break down again. No, he was going to be there for him this time. Foolish acts would not be tolerated, no, he would not…  
  
“Corvi.” Blastus softened his voice as he put his hands on the cub’s shoulders. Much as he wanted to pull him into his arms, he could not. He had to be the strong commander right now. However, Corvi’s declaration had to be addressed, “Your loyalty is commendable but—“  
  
“Blastus, they’re going where Emi was held.” He reminded his mentor, his eyes firm. “She might be free; she might not but think about all we’ve learned about her. Old Gummi was her mother tongue, that was what was spoken throughout the Glen in her time.  Anything that might be a warning or information or anything is going to be in Old Gummi.”  
  
Blastus had to give a nod of agreement to that statement.  
  
“They need me! What if they miss some vital information? I know they understand some of it but you know as well as I do that I’m your best translator now.” His eyes drooped a bit at the reminder but then he swiftly hardened his gaze. “Blastus, don’t think about me being your squire or half the crap I’ve been through. That isn’t important right now.” He was afraid. He was not foolish enough not to admit that but there was no time for that now. With this threat, so much danger was literally waiting to burst in on their lives. His little brothers…much as he wanted to rush to them now, pull them tightly into his chest, he was hardly strong enough to protect them. Not alone. “What’s important is getting to Cubbi and Tavi. What’s important is stopping Emi.” He eyed his mentor, eyes pleading, “Please Blastus.” Much as he wanted to help, much as he wanted to do SOMETHING, it was also vital to him that Blastus_let_ him go. That he trust him with such an important task…  
  
 _Gum help him…why do you have to make sense?_ Sir Blastus’ thoughts ran rapid fire in his mind.  The part of him that wanted to keep Corvi safe was reminded, again, of everything their squires, their boys had done thus far to protect. To serve. Everything they had been teaching them. Now, again, Corvi reminded him of what they missed in their haste, in their desire to rush for their young ones. His eldest squire had never been one to miss a lot of details and despite still recovering somewhat, he knew the teen was right. Old Gummi WOULD be needed.   
  
Sighing deeply, the knight pulled a small dagger from his belt, slapping it into Corvi’s hand, “Keep it close. Don’t hesitate if you need to use it but Gum’s sake don’t run for trouble, either!” It seemed an odd thing to say, given Corvi’s almost impeccable record but given the tense atmosphere of the air, the knight felt compelled to add it. “Don’t hesitate Corvi. The dagger’s small, you’ll have a small opening.” He reached over, tapped the boy on his shoulder right by the base of his neck, below his collarbone “Stab down, here, hard and fast. Then you run.” Blastus gave his order in a no-nonsense tone before continuing, “Meet up with Plucki and the others and stick close to them. Keep your senses sharp. I don’t know if she’s been freed or not…if she has, she is cunning.” Blastus cupped Corvi’s face, looking right into his eyes, “She is cunning, Corvus. Clever. Relentless. She’ll say whatever she needs to in order to get your guard down but she means none of it. Trust nothing from her mouth.”  
  
“…right.” Corvi had to admit that while he was just as determined as ever to go lend his aid (especially since they did not have too much of a head start) hearing so much worry from Blastus made his heart race a little. After all, the knight was always the strong figure to Corvi. However, times caused many things to change and this was just one of them. Hardening his spine, both physically and mentally, he locked eyes with his mentor, “I’ll be fine, Blastus. I’ll find the others and we’ll figure out this mess.”  
  
Smiling lightly, Blastus told him softly, “Trust your heart, Corvi. You sometimes have the same problem a lot of our young knights do—becoming confused at what to trust, the mind or the heart. In this case, always trust the heart. It’s your best clue to real intentions. If your heart is yelling at you—“  
  
“Trust it.” Corvi finished and curled his fingers firmly around the handle of the dagger. Under normal circumstances, he would have been so proud, so thrilled that Blastus trusted him enough with one. Oh, it would have given him bragging rights to last for weeks! While he was being allowed to train with small weapons, carrying one about was still strictly an adult privilege. However, in this case, he was well aware it was out of necessity. So, he was careful to handle the blade cautiously, as he’d been instructed and tucked it into his belt.   
  
Giving a firm nod to the boy’s acknowledgement of his advice, Sir Blastus hardened his voice; he was commander now, not mentor. “Take Vite. He is swift and knows you. You’re aware of the way to Gummi Glen?”  
  
“Yes Sir.” Corvi responded in like seriousness.  
  
“Go quickly. You have my permission if anyone states you’re not welcomed.” Blastus was fairly certain that one blue furred knight would have objections and they had no time for that. Corvi spoke truth and Ramsei would just have to deal with it. “Stick with the party, return with them. Gum’s speed, mon petit enfant.”  
  
The teen vanished down the hall towards the stables and Blastus let out a held breath, praying that he had not just sent his eldest squire to his death.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummi Glen_**  
  
The sudden barreling of knights and Glen folk into the main hall of the Glen would have normally earned a flurry of question but even the most blind and detached of gummies could read the fear, read the panic, read the necessity for action in all their forms. Gruffi, despite his small size, quickly pushed his way in front, with Sunni flanking him. Sir Plucki, Gumlittle and Ramsei nearly walked in a straight row until the wide open halls began to give way to more narrow passages that the Glen naturally shrunk to in its lower levels. Zummi took up the rear.  
  
“This way?” Sunni asked, pointing down the old hallways that she and Cubbi had often wondered about yet been forbidden to explore. Gruffi found that it troubled him far more than he liked that Sunni knew the exact path to where they needed to go. Granted, he knew kids were curious things and she had even said that she and Cubbi (and to some extent, Tummi) had often mused about what might lie down those old halls, but still, the fact she could pinpoint it so exactly made him see a faint flash of red. No, no, no time for that now.  
  
“Yeah, you never went down here, did you, sweetie?”  His tone was sharp but there held sorrow, fear in it that Sunni was not blind to.  
  
Shaking her head, she stated, “No. Considered it a few times but with the way you and the others would freak out, we never attempted it.” Shrugging, she added, “Most Cubbi and I did was come here and stare, guessing. Not even Cubbi thought it was worth it.”  
  
At the mention of Cubbi, the entire party seemed to gain speed, taking two steps for each one step. Gruffi’s eyes never left the path in front of them, leading the group down the narrow hall. Plucki’s stance stayed right next to his, with Sunni a few feet in front of them. However, as they rounded the last twist, to that oh-so-familiar entrance way, Sunni’s feet suddenly clamped up and she froze. Gruffi barreling into her and the two of them would have fallen face forward had Sir Plucki not grabbed both of them firmly on the shoulder.  
  
Ramsei demanded, “Wha-“  
  
His inquiry died quickly.  
  
The area before them was definitely the entry way Gruffi spoke of, the entrance into the forbidden hallway that lead to the dark chamber Gruffi had spoken of. The look on the Glen patriarch’s face said as much, but the whiteness on his face as they approached also told them about their unspoken inquiry. For, what they gazed upon held neither door nor false wall that the Glen leader had constructed so painstakingly. A swift glance by Ramsei at the young girl Sunni told him that there certainly had been a blockage here before and now there was not. What they were facing was a dark, foreboding hallway, mostly blocked by fallen beams and rubble. Yet, there was a cold breeze that blew out of it with an unnatural rhythm that no wind carried.   
  
Zummi approached the entryway first, though he shook visibly in doing so. Frowning, he stated, “The door was memoved by ragic…er, removed by magic.”  
  
“Tavi,” Gumlittle said simply.  
  
“No doubt.” Plucki remarked simply, “We are on their trail then. Gum grant us time that we are not too late.” He sprinted forward, towards the mess of beams and rubble.   
Gruffi scoffed a bit, thinking, “Must be another way in. The kids made it through cause they’re small. Sunni might be able—“  
  
His next sentence was unfinished as Sir Plucki pressed his shoulder against the fallen beam and shoved, hard. It tumbled away, letting loose a shower of dirt and grime. He pushed the second beam before him in a similar fashion and while the horrible rumble it caused made them startle some, the hallway held firm. Dust clouded their vision and it took a moment to clear but the motion had opened a small but much larger hole in the debris. One large enough for them to squeeze through, so long as they were careful. Plucki wasted no time in rushing ahead, Sunni right on his heels.  
  
Blinking a moment, Gruffi shook his head as the Gummadoon Captain vanished into the darkness, “Right…war hero.”  
  
With his surprise not worth wasting time on, he followed, grateful, for once, for his lack of height. He didn’t need to duck nearly as far as any of the others. It allowed him to catch up with the knight and his surrogate daughter quite quickly and despite his larger bulk, Gumlittle followed swiftly with Ramsei and Zummi in tow. Ramsei held a small torch up, which provided some light. It was so little in this haunted hall and the light from their entry way did not seem to creep past the last fallen beam.  
  
Oh, it was such a sharp coldness that they ran into. Such dark, empty, abandoned halls. It positively reeked of death, of despair. Sunni could not withhold a shudder. There was…well, the doors that were opened revealed rooms seemingly frozen in time, with remains of their owners just thrown about in a haste, as if they had rushed out like death itself was on their heels. Given what they had learned about what might dwell within these rooms, it did not seem unreasonable that they might have! “Cubbi!” She cupped her hands around her muzzle, shouting for her adoptive brother.  
  
Silence reigned a moment before the cold, soft calls began.  
  
But they were not Cubbi, nor was it a female voice. No, it sounded like a mix of both male and female, a mix of multiple vocals and it was in a weird tongue, like what Cubbi had greeted them with when they reached Gummadoon.  
  
Gruffi turned to Zummi. “Zummi, what is that?”  
  
Pale to the skin, the magician swallowed hard, feeling a rock forming in his gut. “I..I…I don’t know Gruffi. Old Gummi, for certain. I…I’m not fluent in Old Gummi.”  
  
Gruffi shifted his eyes and saw the three knights obviously deep in thought, trying to translate, trying to think but they carried the same frustration-filled expressions as Zummi. “what?” the Glen leader demanded. “I thought they taught Old Gummi to all our knights.”  
  
“Correct.” Sir Ramsei replied. “But it is utilized primarily during training. If we do not have to use it, the knowledge will slip away. As it has for us.”  
  
Frightened for Cubbi, frightened for Tavi, frightened by the sick, sad voices currently invading his ears, Gruffi cursed under his breath, “Great galloping Gummies, don’t any of you know what that is?”  
  
“It’s a warning,” came an unexpected vocie from behind them.  
  
Jerking about, Gruffi spied that tall golden haired cub following them. His long hair was held back with a low ponytail but his face was coated in dust and looked like he’d bonked his head on the beam coming in. He held a strong, determibned look about him but oh, did that blue knight about blow up at seeing him, whirling around with a fierceness that made even the Glen patriarch jump a little.  
  
“Corvus Randus Gummi! What are you doing here? This is not a place—“ Ramsei began as his Captain and Second simply gaped in shock a moment. Not surprisingly. How had the boy managed to even stay steady on a horse to get here? He was hardly steady on his feet when they left!  
  
“it’s a warning,” Corvi interrupted the blue knight, trying to get right down to business though the sadness he heard made his heart ache, setting his eyes on his Captain and his Second. “They’re saying there’s danger here, that darkness lurks at the end of the hall.” He pointed. “That way. Where the shadows gather.” Indeed, that was a well enough description. The hallway curved slightly but did end. But to the left, there was significant more shadows, save for one small sliver of greyer light. That had to be what they were talking about. He took a step forward.  
  
“Corvus!” Ramsei grabbed the boy’s arm, harshly “Do not ignore me! You had no authorization to—“  
  
Eyes flashing, Corvi responded before Plucki could call Ramsei to hold, nearly snarling the words between clenched teeth. “B’ahsiel, beisah’ha!”  
  
Well, Ramsei certainly knew THAT word!  
  
Before the knight could respond, Corvi added, “Sir Blastus sent me. So, yes, I DO have authorization. He outranks you. And you need me right now, so, I say, again, ‘beisah’ha!” Pressing forward, Corvi was glad that no one else tried to halt him. Instead, if anything, Plucki urged him forward, asking him to repeat what the voices had said. Corvi was glad to focus on that. Under normal circumstances, speaking to any knight, never mind one of the red rank, like he had just done would have gotten him a good pop on the mouth. He generally tried to be polite but Ramsei was stalling matters and they had no time for that.   
  
Sunni and Zummi had rushed to where Corvi had pointed right away and it didn’t take long for them to budge open the coated door. It was very unnerving. As they cracked it open, they could see footprints, cub tracks in the dust and yet, it was as if the door had recoated itself in the layer of age. Creepy…  
  
The voices were louder now.  
  
Gumlittle set his sights on Corvi as they all emerged into the tiny room. Like the others, seemingly frozen in time except this one was painstakingly neat and pristine. No toys, blankets neatly folded, chair pushed in. Yet, it was obvious that someone had lived her for quite a number of years. But, it was just that. A room. There was no additional exit or anything or the sort. Corvi winced, rubbed his head a moment. He was still not exactly one hundred percent but he tried to focus on the voices, those horrible haunting voice.  
  
“Corvi?” Gumlittle’s hand settled on the boy’s shoulder.  
  
Frowning, Corvi repeated what he heard but in Common, “Beware the mirror. Be not fooled. Beware the mirror.”  
  
Sir Plucki stepped forward and approached the full length mirror in the room. He observed it a moment then paused, laid his ear against the wall. He could hear the voices louder now, though he could not tell what they said. There was another sound as well. A whistling sound of moving air.   
  
Stepping back, Plucki pushed aside the mirror, where it tumbled to the ground, shattering into dozens of shards, for the second time that evening.  
  
An eerie, dark corridor greeted them and there was no mistake that the voices were growing louder from down that dark hall that seemed to suck up all light.  
  
There was no hesitation this time. Ramsei followed close to his captain, holding the torch high as they ventured down the pathway. The walls were adorned with nothing. No pictures, no paintings. The floor was bare dirt and stone but the trained knights easily saw where cubs have placed their feet earlier. Corvi crept close to the knights though by now, the entire group seemed to have huddled in on themselves, trying to bring one another comfort. The hallway seemed suffocating and the crying of the voices increased and—  
  
“Gum!” Zummi’s sudden exclamation startled all but then they were all doing the same.  Sunni clung tightly to Gruffi’s arm a moment before gathering her wits. Even the three knights, well used to horrors and pain, paled and put their hands on their weapons, drawing their swords. Corvi, despite his fear, drew out the dagger Blastus had given him, his breaths coming fast. He felt Ramsei pull him close to his side, pushing him between himself and Plucki. Gruffi did the same with Sunni, pushing her and Corvi to the middle of their little huddle.  
  
From the walls, screeching and moaning, were spirits.  
  
Ghosts.  
  
All gummi.  
  
In pain, in agony, not at rest. Crying, all of them. Sobbing, pleading. Signs of their deaths still decorating their face. Blood, burst vessels in the eyes, coldness and unrest simply oozing from them. Singing still but now their voices were almost heart-breaking and made all their ears ache. A horrible pain that nearly made them physically ill. Corvi clamped a hand over his muzzle and had to focus on grounding himself a moment to keep from throwing up. It didn’t help that he was still a little queasy.   
  
“C-corvi?” Zummi managed.  
  
Swallowing hard, the young teen nodded, saying, “She will strike. She will plan. Your children…your children…” Oh, Gum…  
  
Plucki tore from the group rapidly, with Gruffi on his heels. Despite running away from the light, the Gummadoon Captain took off at a breakneck speed run.  
  
No, no. He could not lose Cubbi. He would not. He could not believe it. He would not believe it. He had not arrived too late. He had not. There was still hope. There was always hope! He was faintly aware of the Glen gummi right behind him but he ignored his charge. Only Cubbi mattered! What could this evil gummi had done? Was she truly free? Had she ensnared his young charge? Had she broken him into a pile of quivering sobs and screams? Had she broken that wonderful spirit or—  
  
Plucki and Gruffi burst into the wide chamber almost as one. There was some light here but not much. The two males cared not and rushed forward, spying the center point of the room right away.  
  
A large mirror lay broken into multiple pieces on the ground.  
  
“Beware the mirror…” Gruffi repeated Corvi’s translated statement from the little room. Plucki and Gruffi carefully weaved their way over to the shattered glass mess. There was little to nothing left of the metal frame and there was glass shards everywhere, coating the floor. One was crushed, as if it had been shattered by a boot. But that was not what stopped the hearts and stalled the breath of the two gummi discoverers. No, something much more sinister and soul-writhing stared back at them. Enough that both of them fell to their knees and grasped hold of the broken glass, never minding the cuts they endured.   
Within the shattered glass were two very distinct faces: a male and female.  
  
Cubbi and Tavi.  
  
They were pale in fright, shaking, petrified. Their mouths open in panic. They seemed to spy the two adults, nearly seemed to make eye contact with them. Screamed for them.   
  
Before slipping away into the blackness of the glass and vanishing as the remainder of the shards turned to dust.


	43. Chapter 43

_**Gummi Glen Depths**  
  
_   **"CUBBI!!"**   
  
  That cry of desperation which rang throughout the entire chamber, drowning out the voices of the tortured spirits, came from not only Plucki but Gruffi as well. Their outcry cracked against the shattered remains of the mirror and bounced back to them, unheard, unanswered.  
  
  In that moment of sudden, silent loss, Sir Gumlittle and  Zummi and Sunni came upon the two father bears, both overwhelmed by the reality presented in the broken prison. Although she wasn't certain what happened before she came in, Sunni was pretty sure by the look of things that the mirror was Emi's cell, she'd obviously gotten out because it was in ruins, and Cubbi and Tavi were nowhere to be found. That sense of loss began to surround her as well, that dread and hopelessness. "Gruffi?" she attempted but not even she could form a better query than that of a child looking for consolation and support from an elder. None came.  
  
  A deep groan shuddered from Zummi. The old wizard's legs buckled and Sir Gumlittle caught him under the arm just in time to support him. The old guy was pretty heavy! But then he found his strength and righted himself. His medallion began to glow brilliantly, illuminating the entire room, chasing away some of the dread and fear and horror, giving way with its light a delicate sense of hope that everyone immediately latched onto.  
  
  "Great Gummies!" Zummi uttered, looking about.  
  
  "What, Zummi?" Sunni queried.  
  
  He had no words at first. It felt like... like the first time he'd been in Gummadoon and Councilor Wooddale showed him a better way to channel magic. It felt powerful, alive, yet contorted, twisted, and blackened. It was power, but it was dark. "A... a dreat geal... er, great deal of magic was spent here recently. I can feel it..." It made him cringe away from his sensing of it and clutch even tighter his medallion, as if to keep it safe from harm. "Dark magic..."  
  
  Plucki recovered enough from his shock to rush toward Zummi. "Magic... Can you sense them? Are they still alive? Has your knowledge of magic grown enough that you can try?"  
  
  "I... I..." Zummi stammered. "I don't know, Sir Plucki, but I'll try."  
  
  Pushing past Sir Ramsei barring his way, Corvi came in and stood by Zummi. "You can bet I'm right here with you to help with whatever I can."

* * *

  
  
 ** _Within Emi's Prison_**  
  
  Cubbi stared at the cub who looked so very like him. He stared and barely noted that the surroundings had changed yet again to cool clouds, more felt than seen. He dared to ask, "Am... am I dead?"  
  
  Aldi Gummi smirked a bit. _**"No. You can't die in here. But you are pretty stuck."**_  
  
  Cubbi frowned at the pink-furred cub who still held onto his hand. "You helped me before... In the tunnel?"  
  
  ** _"Ah-huh."_**  
  
  "But... If you're Aldi Gummi, then that makes you Sir Plucki's son. That means you're dead."  
  
  _**"Ah-huh."**_  
  
  Cubbi immediately yanked his hand away.   
  
  Everything around him went black and cold and howling like a moonless freezing night. Cubbi tried to look about him, to see where the ghost went, but saw nothing at all.  
  
  Ghosts. Why did ghosts hang around him so much?? And why did they freak him out so much?? Why was Aldi here? To haunt him? Make sure he didn't get too close to Sir Plucki? But it wasn't his fault Aldi was dead! And... and it wasn't anybody's fault that he and Plucki got along so good! Why did he feel so guilty, so scared! Scared of ghosts, scared of never getting out, scared of never seeing Sir Plucki or the others again! If they were still alive. Were they? Were those visions? Nightmares before?   
  
  The blackness began to creep beyond his skin, into his mind, began to freeze any action.  
  
  A hand fell into his once more. With that secure grip, which he returned this time, the blackness oozed back and Aldi once more was in front of him.  
  
 ** _"That's not helping, Cubbi. You gotta listen, okay? Listen before Papa and the others get hurt."_**  
  
  Plucki wasn't hurt yet? Could he actually help stop something bad? Cubbi gulped. "O-okay?"

* * *

  
  
 ** _Outside Lady Bane's Lands_**  
  
  "You... You were...?" Gusto couldn't quite finish the sentence. Grammi couldn't even ask it at that point.  
  
  "Yeah. Lady Bane... cast a spell. Resurrected me... Took me over. I'm... fighting back."  
  
  "Well, uh, good for you, Luck-meister..." Really, what else was there to say about it?  
  
  Silence followed for a bit, given that the Glens had no idea what to say to a possessed, resurrected gummi and the Councilors were simply trying to focus on the task at hand and get to the witch's castle as quickly as possible.  
  
  However, with Gusto around, it was difficult to maintain a level of silence. "So," he started, grinning. "Heard you're stuck in there, eh, Lady Bane?" He leaned nearer the boy's face, leaned over Sir Ecri's shoulder.  
  
  The young knight didn't like the Glen gummi's taunting or his proximity and looked back briefly to frown on his behavior.  
  
  Gusto ignored him. "We know you're in there. Whatsamatter? Beat already?"  
  
  Oh, she could not ignore that smart-faced grin any longer and shoved Lucki's control to the side, forcing sluggish legs and arms to her bidding, and tried to launch herself at the offending artist.   
  
  Ecri struggled with the reins of his unicorn and an irate possessed child. He yanked hard on the bit and grabbed for the green-furred body currently trying to leap at the aqua artist behind him. Just managing to secure a hold around the child's waist, he was able to stop Lady Bane's charge. That did not mean he did not glare at Gusto for inciting her. Not feeling it was enough, given the other gummi's smug face, he added words of disapproval and warning. "Do NOT do that."  
  
  Gusto shrugged in his usual non-chalant manner. "Hey, it got her riled. That was the point! One, we know she can take control of Lucki still and that means we gotta watch our backs. Two, she's still got some fight left in her. That means she may actually be willing to help us in order to get her own sorry soul out of Luck-man."  
  
  Well, given that he had a point, Ecri let the matter rest and merely endeavored to catch up with the others, shaking his head at their querulous expression.  
  
  Lady Bane did not. She sneered and snarled at the smart-mouthed artist bear. "Just you wait. When your back is turned, when you feel safe, that's when I'll strike!"  
  
  Gusto laughed. "No you won't. You've already given away your element of surprise. Hey, I'm no fighter but even I know that the first rule is not to tell your moves to your opponent! How did you even get this far in your reign of terror? I mean, you gotta be smarter than your Troggles... Right?"  
  
  "You... I'll--!" Lady Bane spat out from Lucki's body. Lucki, in the meantime, was doing an admirable job holding control of the arms and legs and not allowing her mobility to attempt a second strike.  
  
  "Hey, it's not my fault Emi's got you beat on the evil front. I mean, before her, you were at the top of Evil. Now..." He shrugged absently. "So, you know, don't go stabbing us in the back, because I highly doubt you can beat her the way you are. And if you want her to go down, which is what WE want, it's time to pick a side and stay on it. No double crossing or you'll be stuck in oblivion and off Team Evil for good."  
  
  Lady Bane stopped fighting at those words. Inwardly, she smirked. Manipulative ursine... He was right, though. She must devote more time to actually helping with the problem. There'd be time later to concoct devious tortures for all of these miserable bears...  
  
  During her inner musings, Lucki took control of the mouth. "She doesn't... desire... to be... the most... evil." Talking was still difficult, partly due to having to rend control each time, and partly due to a sudden shortness of breath. "She... wants... power."  
  
  _Shut up, brat!_ she hissed at Lucki's soul, yanking it away from the mouth.  
  
  He couldn't resist being pulled away. His body strength had been taxxed by Lady Bane's attempt to attack Gusto but his soul was weakened as well. Couldn't explain it except that his entire being felt exhausted. And, despite her fussing, he knew Lady Bane was worn, too. Whatever was going on with his body, it was affecting both their souls. Both had to sit back, relax, and hope to be ready when they finally got into Lady Bane's castle.  
  
  You can bet Lady Bane couldn't wait to go home.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Ivori's Classroom_**  
  
  It would seem to be, on all outward appearances, like any normal day of watching over the young cubs of Gummadoon. They played, the pushed a little, she intervened, snacks were handed out, ate and drank, they walked together when one needed to use the restroom... It seemed like any other day, except that she knew it wasn't. Everything was too quiet. Not the calm sort of quiet but just... deathly quiet. As if the walls withheld secrets. She didn't like that feeling. Not at all. To make matters worse, she was fairly certain the knights knew something but weren't telling. But, for now, she kept up a cheery face. No need to worry the young ones. Mustn't set off further talk of death in young Cori and Morri. It would merely upset everyone, including her. And look now, all playing nicely, no knights who lay down and never stand again.  
  
  Lady Ivori sat with the children, smiled happily, and resumed her playing with them.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Sir Plucki's Office_**  
  
  Though Blastus never thought he'd be using his brother's office as a base of operations in his absence, the role felt almost natural as this gummi he'd summoned soon dashed away on her assigned task and that gummi entered to see why Blastus had sought him. He was simply kept too busy to question every decision.  
  
  That's how Sarrika found him, knee-deep in maps of Gummadoon, doling out duties to fortify areas of weakness, a planned city-wide announcement which would be projected by the remaining Gummadoon wizards if and when Emi was about to attack, where the citizens would be kept safe at that time, more gummies to help stock provisions in those areas, and the rumor that it was all a drill in order to keep everyone from panicking.  
  
  Wading past three gummies hurrying out on their assigned task, Sarrika said, "Sir Blastus, if I could have a word with you?"  
  
  He looked up from studying a map of the lower levels of Gummadoon. "Healer Sarrika, what can I do for you?"  
  
  "Where are Sir Ecri and Sir Plucki? I must speak with them and can't find them anywhere."  
  
  That paused the knight briefly. "Eh..." He moved away from his maps and closer to the healer to huddle up for a reply. "They have gone separate but vital paths. Sir Plucki has led a group to Gummi Glen. We learned a mere hour ago that Emi is targeting Tavi and Cubbi. That is where her prison is and that is where Sir Plucki and his group have gone. Sir Ecri and his group are venturing to Lady Bane's castle in order to look for answers there."  
  
  Sarrika's mouth turned in a look of distaste. "That will be difficult without the witch's help."  
  
  "Oui... Which is why young Lucki went with them."  
  
  "WHAT?!!" the healer cried out, startling the other four gummies in the room. "Sir Blastus, that's... that's..."  
  
  "S'il vous plait, calmez-vous." he told her, shushing her with his hands and pulling her into the more secluded and smaller private office. Shutting the door, he explained, "It was a necessity, Sarrika. They need answers and those answers lay within her castle. To navigate properly and not waste time, that means they also needed Lady Bane. Councilor Wooddale and Grammi are also with him and will let no harm come to him, as will not Sirs Ecri, Horli, and Kai. Councilor Berribottom and Gusto also accompany them. They are both equally important missions and we did not have time to do both separately. What I would very much like is for you to remain at the ready and get from the stores any medicines, bandages, and other tools of your trade, just in case the fight turns here. There are several gummies already at the lower level stores and I believe that is where you will find--"  
  
  "Sir Blastus," the healer started, losing her patience. "I am going to let slip the fact that I was not consulted before letting a very seriously ill patient leave my charge, but, and I beg your pardon, my apprentices and assistants can do that sort of work for you. What you can do for me is listen."  
  
  That immediately shut the French knight up.  
  
  "The slumber sand from earlier. It was Karleni. She was possessed again, and I doubt Lady Bane is strong enough to possess more than one person. It would likely be Emi, as she's got her sights on Gummadoon and her presence has been felt here before recently. I went to the library to conduct further research on Concordia, to help Lucki, or the Gummadoon Staff, to help fight Emi, but Librarian Jenni told me that the Library had been closed by order of Sir Plucki due to some kind of contamination? I can only assume, again, it has to do with Emi. So, Karleni and I have focused our efforts on the other libraries and I've come with our findings. As it turns out, I found a clue on the Staff of Gummadoon first. It was Sir Ecri who first saw it but he was pulled away, obviously. Is Lady Cressi available, if she's feeling well? It's all in Old Gummi. Or perhaps Corvi. He's at least as good as his mother at translating. Jenni is still a novice with the language and... What?" The more she spoke, the sadder Sir Blastus became.  
  
  "Lady Cressi... She is no more, Sarrika."  
  
  Shock covered the healer's features. "Dead??"  
  
  "Died of illness and unwilling to seek a healer, according to Corvi. He blamed himself and even kept it secret until it was more weight than his young soul could bear. But he is not available either. He went to help Sirs Plucki, Gumlittle, and Ramsei at Gummi Glen with the other Glen gummies in case any messages or traps are in Old Gummi."  
  
  Healer Sarrika shook her head. So much loss, so much badness lately! "We are sorely in need of making it required curriculum, Sir Blastus."  
  
  He nodded. "Certainement. But there may be another option. You remember the name of the book you wish translated, and the author or scribe?"  
  
  "Of course."  
  
  "Then you must go seek out young Toni, for he has a book which can likely aid you, healer. Perhaps it may also know of Concordia."  
  
  "Where is he?"  
  
  "The most magically sealed and fortified place in Gummadoon: the main councilchambers."  
  
  "Thank you, Sir Blastus. Good luck in here."  
  
  He smiled at her well-wishing. "And to you."  
  
  Sarrika dashed out, knowing time was against them. What also weighed on her was the fact that saving Lucki's soul was just as important to her as saving every other gummi here and everywhere else. Finding Concordia and finding all information on the Gummadoon Staff were both equally imperative in her mind... and she could only do one at a time. She had to choose the many over the one, at least at this time. As for Karleni's research... She had to trust that Karleni find something on fighting possession and holding back the forces of darkness, or any other useful knowledge which remained hidden by time in the older library books. Her determination was great, her will was stronger. She had vowed not to let herself be so used or abused again, for the sake of all of them and especially her son.  
  
  Arriving at the closed doors of the councilchambers, Sarrika was stopped by Sir Rudi.   
  
  He eyed her a moment, the said, "What with all the possessing going on, and other magical hijinks, gotta ask you a few questions."  
  
  "Alright but hurry."  
  
  "What's my middle name?"  
  
  "Harlin."  
  
  Rudi cringed at that, having disliked it for as long as he'd first heard it's use. Given that Sarrika and he were only a decade apart, she'd heard it often enough. This particular knight was very good at getting into trouble as a cub and Sir Ramsei very good at yelling at him to get him back in line. Of all the knights, Sir Ramsei was the one to whip him into shape. Did a good job, too, in her opinion.   
  
  "Okay, what's my favorite color?"  
  
  She cocked a brow at him. "Really? It's red."  
  
  "Right. Now tell me why."  
  
  She grinned. "You can't keep your hands off the cherry pies."  
  
  His grin matched hers. "Okay. Go on in, but if yer a spy or possessed or something, it's gonna feel awful goin' through those door. They're warded against all of that."  
  
  She waved him off and hurried in, both unaffected by his warning, nor by the wards.  
  
  Inside the still councilchambers, she saw only two occupants: Sir Quimbi and Toni. Sir Quimbi was hunched over, doubled up and bent to look at whatever Toni had, their backs to Sarrika.  
  
  They were talking very quiet when she approached and, as they hadn't noticed her, she cleared her throat to warn them of her presence.  
  
  The pair whirled around, startled. Toni clutched a large worn book to his chest as if to keep it from the eyes of anyone else. Quimbi actually drew his blade.  
  
  At Sarrika's surprise over their lack of greeting, Quimbi lowered his weapon. "Sorry, Healer Sarrika. Just a little on edge right now."  
  
  "As are we all." she replied, taking no offense, but she immediately focused on the blue-furred cub. "Toni, may I see that? Sir Blastus said the book you carry might help in my research."  
  
  "Nuh-uh. I'm s'posed'ta keep it safe. Besides, it won't do you any good."  
  
  She frowned, puzzled, at the boy's behavior. "Be that as it may, I'd like to have a look at it."  
  
  The squire eyed her suspiciously and passed Sir Quimbi a look.   
  
  Quimbi shrugged. "She made it past Rudi and the door so..." Another shrug.  
  
  Toni's eyes narrowed further at Sarrika. "If you really are her, tell me what was the last thing you saw me for?"  
  
  "Aside from your slit wrists and a septic leg injury? You came in last month with a black eye and bloody nose from an improper block technique during training. Now may I see the book?"  
  
  Reluctantly, Toni handed it over.  
  
  Sarrika accepted the odd, old tome but when she perused the cover, spine, even the pages, everything was absolutely blank.  
  
  Toni, on his toes to see, said, "Aw, ya scared it!"  
  
  "I..." Staring in confusion between the book and the cub, the healer asked. "I beg your pardon? What kind of book is this exactly?"  
  
  "Really magical and really smart, but you scared it and our research went away!"  
  
  She considered for sure that they must be joking with her, and she'd normally get angry over that because it wasn't the time for jokes, except... Sir Blastus told her to come here to look for her answer.  
  
  Sir Quimbi leaned near her and said, "The thing only responds to cubs. If you wanna know anything, you'd best hand it back to Toni."  
  
  "Oh..." She frowned but did as she was told. "I... I don't know how much of what I need to know should be shown to cubs..."  
  
  Her brief concern was extinguished when the book took on a glow. Words sprung to life on the cover: The Journals Of Merlinni Gummi.  
  
  "Ah, see? There it goes." Grinning, Toni opened the book. Gold glowing words appeared on the first page.  
  
  She read it herself, awe-struck.  
  
**_I apologize for ending your search for answers on Emi Gummi. One cannot be too cautious._**  
  
  "Yer right there, book, but this's really Sarrika." Toni spoke to the book, then turned to her. "What didja need to know?"  
  
  "I... I..." Sarrika stammered, then shut her mouth, took a breath, and said, "I'm not sure where to begin, but what I need is information on the creation of the Gummadoon Staff and how it was a key to Emi Gummi's prison. What was the source of its power? Why was it cursed? How was it used to help contain her?"  
  
  All looked to the book. More glowing words emerged. _**What you seek is the book entitled**_ **The Shaft Of Dark Light** **_by Heridici Gummi._ **  
  
  "Yes! That's the one!" Sarrika smiled, delighted that this book was so easy to use. Smart, Toni had called it. Indeed! The smartest book she'd ever encountered! "I found the book but can't read it. It's in Old Gummi."  
  
  _Please consult Corvi Gummi to translate it._  
  
  A very smart book... "I can't. He's gone off to help the other knights who've gone right to Emi's prison."  
  
  _I **see. Very well. The book can appear within these pages simply by stating 'Recall: The Shaft Of Dark Light by Heridici Gummi', and when it appears, state very clearly 'Translate'. The manuscript will appear translated for you, however to use this feature of me is draining and I will be unable to assist you in any way for some time afterwards. Do you wish to proceed?**_  
  
  Sarrika looked from Toni to Sir Quimbi, consulting them. "You were meant to watch over this magnificent book. This information I feel is vital but if the knights require the book for another purpose..."  
  
  "Go ahead, Healer Sarrika," Toni told her. "If you can figure out a way to make another staff to trap Emi or how to suck her power away or... or anything that'd help Gumlittle and Plucki and the others, you go for it." And he held the book up to her.  
  
  She did not take it as before but merely stood and said the words, "Recall: **The Shaft Of Dark Light** by Heridici Gummi." When the words sprung to the pages, exactly how they appeared in the original book, she said very clearly, "Translate."  
  
  The mysterious Old Gummi language changed immediately to Common.  
  
  Healer Sarrika began her research in hungry earnest.

* * *

  
  
 _ **The Village Of Ernst**_  
  
 _ **(Five Miles Outside Of Dunwyn)**_  
  
  
  When Sir Timothi had proposed to Sarrani, he knew the two  years prior with her absent had been torturous. He knew she felt strongly about pursuing her dream as a travelling healer. When Gummadoon stood solid on its foundations once more and not bouncing around time, she'd begun her quest. He'd taken up knighthood the same year. He knew all that, and that's why he'd proposed when he could, when she'd returned.   
  
  She'd accepted and they'd married quickly before they were off to follow her dream.  
  
  That was all fine and well, but he'd had no idea she'd meant to be a travelling healer of human medicine as well as gummi!  
  
  Smiling that grand smile of hers, she patted the knee of the old man who'd received one of her special disinfectant bandages. "There you are. Keep off it for a day, if you can."  
  
  The grateful villager nodded and offered the pair a few apples in payment.  
  
  "Thank you, but really, helping is thanks enough."  
  
  Sir Timothi accepted the apples and stowed them in his bag, along with the salted meat, boiled eggs, carrot bundle, and a pickle from other grateful villagers they'd tended to along their way.  
  
  It was odd, being seen by humans let alone being accepted by them, but he had to admit even he was fascinated by the similarities between human and gummi physiology. Endlessly fascinating to Sarrani, their evening talks usually had to do with some tidbit she'd discovered that day or week.  
  
  That first night, after he'd discovered her deep interest in human physiology upon learning that's where she intended to practice her craft -- the nearest village to Gummadoon -- he'd asked her about it.  
  
  "Oh, I've always found humans fascinating, Tim. Sarrika never understood, though we both enjoy the healing arts. And after the war... Well, I knew there were many wounded humans. Somegummi had to come out into the thick of it and help them all! Their medicine is so woefully underdeveloped." She'd shaken her head pityingly.   
  
  Given that, and his own vows to protect the innocent and undo the wicked, this seemed to fit as well. Sometimes Sarrani, though he loved her dearly, was incredibly trusting and needed someone to question human motives. There'd been no trouble but... still... All it'd take would be one to harm her, break her trust. He was looking out for her personal safety and her mental safety. He'd made it his vow to protect her every way he could.  
  
  Currently aiding the good villagers of Ernst, the pair was yet again gathered around a fire to eat their cache of apples, eggs, carrots, meat, and/or pickle. Personally, he'd hoped she'd give it to someone. He despised pickles and did not look forward to kissing his wife with pickle-breath. He was debating if he could simply leave it in the woods without her notice when a woman and her elderly female companion solemnly approached.   
  
  Sir Timothi stood at once, for their expressions were lost, lacking any hope. People did not often come to a healer with such a look.  
  
  Sarrani also stood and walked over to the silent pair. "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
  They carried two large jars a piece, one in each hand.   
  
  More shuffling from the surrounding brush brought two more humans -- a man and a woman -- each one carrying a large pot. They, too, bore lost expressions. The man, however, spoke.  
  
  "'Tis a plague, or worse. We're from Midlund but came to see you. Heard you help with all manner of ailments so we came, the whole village. We're a small one and can't pay you but we beg you, please. Can you help, b'fore more fall to this?" And he held out his pot to the approaching healer.  
  
  Sarrani took it with care. Unsure what to make of it, she opened it. Inside the pot was a fine ash the likes of which she'd never seen. "What is this?" she asked, mystified but careful not to breathe it in.   
  
  Tears formed in his eyes. "Our four-year-old son."  
  
  The woman next to him, her gaunt face showing no sign of sleep nor rest, held out her own pot. "Our baby."  
  
  The first woman held out her jar, as did the old woman next to her. "My two sons." she said.  
  
  Others came forward from the forest, some with jars or pots of remains, some with pleas to help their little village. Sir Timothi and Healer Sarrani were overwhelmed for a moment. Such tragedy! But then a closer inspection of the remains of a pot revealed not even a sliver of bone. There was no smell of burnt flesh and the reports all said the clothes were untouched. Only a pile of ash and the clothing remained.  
  
  "Villagers," Sarrani started, dread in her stomach. "this was no plague. I fear that you've come under some sort of magical attack. We'll escort you to Dunwyn Castle immediately. I'm sure Queen Calla will aid you while I bring this news to the proper authorities."  
  
  And off they began marching, Tim and Sarrani leading the sad parade.   
  
  He said to her, "By proper authorities, you mean the best authorities on magic?"  
  
  "Yes, Tim. We'll be headed home; after we see these poor people safe." And she shuddered, still horrified over the loss of so many young humans. What could have done this? Or, specifically, who?  
  


* * *

  
  
 ** _Two Miles Outside Of Dunwyn_**  
  
  
  
  With overzealous glee the likes of which she rarely indulged in, the sorceress turned her attention inward, to the soul of the body she'd hijacked centuries ago. _Well? Now that we're young and spritely again, whom shall we visit first? Your old home, the Glen? Or the city of that magical busybear, Merlinni?_  
  
  The battered, scarred, tormented soul gave a cry and shrank away from the sorceress's powerful presence.  
  
  _Heh. Gummadoon it is..._  
  
  As 'Emi' made her way to the fabled magical Gummi city, she chuckled to herself. How had she not been driven mad by that insufferable Gummi mirror prison? Oh, not just by scheming and plotting the demise of every single one of those bears. No, she had a more captive audience. They never found out the truth, and as such, Emi had been trapped in the mirror with her. She'd had a very satisfying plaything to torture during her incarceration and look now. Still as cowed as she'd been for the last century or so. Still a quivering mess stuck in what was once her body.   
  
  _It's mine, though. Still mine after all these centuries. And, Emi-dear, I'm just getting started._  
  
 

* * *

  
  
 ** _Main Gummadoon Council Chambers_**  
  
  Sarrika read through the summoned book as quickly as she can, absorbing every bit she could. The healer ignored Quimbi reading over her shoulder, and Toni hovering on his toes every now and then. When she'd finished, she didn't close the book, lest the magic fade and the words disappear and what if she had to reference something within it again?  
  
  Finally, she looked up and said, "It was used to siphon off her dark power, to weaken her just enough to imprison her. But they needed a bit of her spent magic to imprint the energy on the Gummadoon Staff. It worked too well, however, and absorbed too much of her dark power, turning it into not only the key to her prison but a cursed weapon which would harm any who wielded it. I... I don't think we could craft such a weapon at this time. It took quite a while to create, and it was deviously complex, but it was absolutely key in locking Emi away."  
  
  "And it was destroyed in the war." Sir Quimbi said, paling.  
  
  "Exactly. That's what weakened Emi's prison. That's why she's been felt here. Without such a strong lock on her to keep her chained, there isn't much stopping her from breaking out."  
  
  "So what're we gonna do?" Toni asked when the adults fell silent.


	44. Chapter 44

Silence followed young Toni’s statement. The truth was, they truly didn’t know what to do. While they certainly had been given their answers and it definitely explained the sudden weakening of the prison (looked like Sir Ecri’s suspicion was right on the money!) it didn’t give them any idea of where to go from there. Hearing about such immense power being needed to conceal and trap this opponent served as a great means to cause fear to boil deep in the soul. The adults exchanged glances and took deep, heavy breaths.  
  
Toni took the book again, clutching it tightly, asking again, “So, maybe the others had better luck?” The adults still hadn’t said anything but the silence was driving him utterly insane.   
  
Sarrika frowned deeply, her thoughts shifting to the groups venturing directly into danger. Much as she wanted answers, much as they needed answers, the fact remained that with what resources they had currently, they had pursued the Gummadoon staff as far as possible. They had found out what they had feared and now, that was the end of that quest. They could not duplicate such a weapon so young Toni was right, on both accounts: what were they to do now and should they consider what their allies had accomplished?  
  
Letting out a hefty sigh, the healer remarked, “I hear that a group went to pursue clues at Lady Bane’s palace.” She frowned, some of her previous anger reflected on her face, “And they took Lucki with them. As fragile as he is…” she was reluctant to say more given Toni’s close proximity but the boy knew enough that Lucki was breakable, easily injured. So, for that reason, the healer was rightly surprised when Toni snorted and shook his head at her statement. While she was aware that children did not always understand as well as they would like at times, she was certain he would see…  
  
“You wouldn’t have been able to stop him, Sarrika.” The boy declared firmly, his eyes set. “Lucki was always stubborn, ‘member? He was just quiet about it. He woulda gone anyway if he thought he needed to.” He frowned, “Did you really think if you told him he had to stay that he woulda? Especially if it involved maybe saving or protectin’ his little sis? C’mon Sarrika, you’re not an idiot.”  
  
Scoffing a bit at the boy’s choice of words, the healer had to admit that he had a point. It had been so long, seemingly, since Lucki had rushed about their halls but she did recall the stubborn side to the quiet cub. So many people didn’t see that side but if you lived in the same palace as the boy, you would see it on occasion. Without fail, it emerged whenever someone he cared about was in need of aid. That was one reason that many people didn’t realize the stubborn side was there! It only came out under the best of intentions so Lucki hardly ever saw consequences for it.  
  
A hefty sigh escaped her lips, “Perhaps you’re right…okay, okay,” she amended, seeing Toni’s roll of his eyes, “You _are_ right. Still, they are going directly into the witch’s house.”  
  
Sir Quimbi put a hand on her shoulder, “I’m sure they wouldn’t have done it if the benefit would not outweigh the risks.”  
  
The healer eyed the knight, “You’re still young, Sir Quimbi. You’ve a good heart and yes, I do agree with you. They would not have taken the risk if they did not feel it was worth it. But, despite that, Lucki is fragile, probably moreso than he realizes…”  
  
“You’re a hyperbole.” Toni snapped.  
  
Both adults stared at him for a long moment before Quimbi coughed and stated, “Do you mean a hypocrite, Toni?” the knight inquired, ruffling the cub’s hair a bit.  
  
Not stalled in the least, (as he did not embarrass easily) Toni snorted, “Whatever. You are, Sarrika.”  
  
A bit agitated, she calmed her tone before responding, “How so, young Toni?”  
  
“Remember what you tol’ me when I came in with a black eye and you tol’ me to always tell the truth with how much it hurt?” He waited, though hardly long enough for the gummi woman to think of the time mentioned, let alone settle on her reply before he was answering for her. “You tol’ me that you hadda have me talk ‘bout things when it hurt because you weren’t a mind reader. You said you couldn’t help me if I didn’t help you cause I know how my body is feeling more than you do. Doncha think Lucki is the same?”  
  
Hefting a deep sigh, the healer knelt a little, “He does Toni, that much I’m certain of. I think that’s what causes me so much worry.” She squeezed the cub’s shoulder, “Toni, I know Lucki will push himself. He always has when someone he cared about was involved, am I correct?”  
  
Nodding in response, Toni remarked, “Yeah, both him and Corvi were annoying big brothers. Still are.”  
  
“That is why I was upset, Toni.” Sarrika explained. “Because I know that Lucki is apt to sacrifice his body if it’ll help the mission.” Biting her lower lip, she added, “And he can’t risk that…”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
The slow voyage into Lady Bane’s domain had finally reached its destination with that large foreboding castle looming before the small group. Lucki fought to keep a handle on Lady Bane’s spirit. He knew that they would need her knowledge of the place but that was also a good reason to keep a strong grip on her spirit as well. He knew all too well that her being trapped in his body was his only bargaining chip right now. He would not put it past her to try and get ahold of some of her magical talismans and render him helpless. He didn’t know if she had the means to do that but he certainly wasn’t about to take any chances.   
  
So far, she was behaving but that didn’t mean he was about to let his guard down! Even as she led them through the wary landscape and high cliffs about her palace, he kept a firm eye on her. He knew she could tell and he could feel her disgust and discontent but he didn’t care. Being careless had killed him once. He was not about to let it happen to anyone else! If it meant that he ended up extinguishing a lot of his energy, damaging his body, heck, even harming his soul, then so be it! Not while he was able to fight back would this happen again!  
  
“So, with all your fancy magic and tricks, you couldn’t have come up with a better side entrance way than up the side cliffs?” Gusto quipped at the sorceress in Lucki’s body. They could certainly handle the climb and they definitely wanted to avoid triggering any of her troggle guards; Berrybottom had remarked that they would listen to Lady Bane but the sorceress had to admit that even her best trained troggles would most likely not even remember she had done possession and likely would attack. They were smarter than ogres but not by much. So, without proper means to scale the walls without being noticed, Lady Bane had informed them of the back entry way (she would need to eliminate it once this task was done) but it involved some mild climbing of the cliffs that served as the moat to her palace.  
  
There was also the issue of the fact that she had installed multiple magical wards around the palace when she left. While she would have gladly giggled and enjoyed these blasted bears being caught in them, the blasted soul of Lucki had caught on quickly and begun to fight her. She couldn’t afford to waste energy on him so it was much easier to simply avoid them and lead them in the side way. It was not an entrance she routinely used, hence it being in such an inopportune position. Truth be told, it was meant to be an exit and not an entrance but nothing would stop it from being utilized in that manner. So, here they were, making their way up the cliffs, leaving their stallions in wait.  
  
Lucki allowed Lady Bane some control of his mouth to reply to Gusto, “It is not meant to be used often. Do you put an extra entry way to your castle in easy spots?”  
  
The group pressed onward without much more talk, though Lucki was obviously starting to struggle. With a lot of his energy devoted to keeping Lady Bane at bay, his physical strengths were depleted significantly. It disgusted him but nothing to be done about it. Though, he did notice that Grammi woman looking at him with something akin to pity. _Pity, he did not want anyone’s pity! He was not something broken, something to be looked at with sadness in your heart! He was a squire of Gummadoon!_  
  
 _A squire that bruises at each small wisp of air,_ came the snarky comment from within his mind.   
  
He pressed onward, pushing her will back with each grasp of rock. _No time for petty arguments._  
  
 _Is it so petty?_ The sorceress insisted, _Surely you see the fear in their eyes? They are just waiting for you to break and shatter. A broken body of a cub they once knew…_ she laughed, deeply _Squire indeed! Tell me, cub, if you survive this…if somehow you find your freedom, do you really believe you will be welcomed back into the ranks of those preparing for war? You are a liability! What good is a soldier that cannot fight for fear of breaking? Your life will be nothing but walking on eggshells!_  
  
Without losing focus, the squire fired back, _Maybe. Maybe not._  
  
Lady Bane didn’t give a response to that, simply because she didn’t like the conviction in it. Had the cub sensed or detected something she had not? A quick survey over his mind found that his newfound control was propelling this belief. Well, that was easily fixed. She fired all her will out at once and—  
  
 _Stop it, lamia,_ the cub cursed her in Latin (though calling her a witch was hardly much of a curse) _You still need me in one piece, don’t you? He snorted mentally. What good is it going to serve you if we both go smashing into the rocks? You’re still bound to this body, same as me. Unless you’re so stupid to sign your death warrant to show me you can. Little babies do that. Lookie, lookie what I can do. I’m SO strong, I’m SO powerful…you’re no more powerful than me right now so stop it!_  
  
The sorceress was forced to withdraw her presence at the surge of intense strength from this brat’s spirit. She didn’t like this. If there was some truth to what the cub was thinking, his ability to control his body and force her will back WAS growing. That was unnerving. She should have been able to crumble him. As she had before. She was losing her grip over him and that troubled her. However, he was also right. If he lost grip here, it would kill them both and she had no intention of dying here nor in such a revolting body! She resisted the urge to make the cub remember who was in command and went quiet.   
  
Exhausted, both mentally and physically, the green furred cub shook his head, reached out for the next hand grip—  
  
Missed.  
  
His grasp on the rock lost, he gave a yelp of shock then fear as he slid down the mountainside.  
  
“Lucki!” he heard various gummies above him call after him and he even heard the start of an incantation from Berrybottom before his elbow slammed hard into the cliff side, leaving a nasty blue and black bruise, and a small opening, about the size of a quick tunnel car exit opened in the rock and he went spiraling inside, landing hard on his face.  
  
Groaning lightly, he rolled onto his back, cursing at Lady Bane to shut up with her screeching at him as he did so.   
  
_Foolish child!_ She snarled, _Are you trying to kill the both of us?_  
  
_Your fault,_ he shot back. _You’re taking up my energy._ He went silent after that though. No point in arguing. It had been done. Instead, he focused on a quick glance over his body. Amazingly, aside from the bruise where his elbow had hit, he only had some scratches on his chest. No bruising. Weird. Was his body getting some of its resilience back? He had definitely noticed that he was tiring less quickly and while he was still injuring easily, it was becoming more and more rare. Was his body finally catching up with his soul?  
  
Sitting up, the cub looked around the room. It was small. More like an enlarged closet than anything. Lots of books and papers and scrolls. They were lying everywhere! Old too. It smelled like stale air. Like those old rooms he and Corvi used to play in within Gummadoon’s back halls, in the secret rooms. There was a completely different feeling here though. He wouldn’t call it scary but definitely creepy. There was a blackness to the place that you just couldn’t put your finger on but you couldn’t ignore all the same.   
  
Dusting himself off, Lucki was relieved as he saw the rest of the group start to drop into the doorway. Sir Ecri came first, followed by Sir Kai, Wooddale, Berrybottom and then Grammi and Gusto. His aunt rushed over to him immediately, looking him over, seeming just as stunned as the others that there was only a handful of scratches and a bruised elbow to be found. After reassuring her that he was fine, the group took the same course of action that Lucki had done, to take in their bearings.  
  
Gusto, never one to not have a comment, remarked, “So, you were going to have us wear ourselves out climbing to that Gum-awfully designed entry when you had this little secret way in?” Gusto seemed suspicious which was a fair assumption; everyone was quite suspicious. Anyone with a set of eyes could make out the small staircase that led from this tiny hideaway up into the main castle. “Leading up into a trap?” Gusto added. However, while the group of gummies turned dark, distrusting eyes to Lucki, though obviously meant for the sorceress inside of him, Lucki felt fear creep through his heart.  
  
He had begun to sort through Lady Bane’s thoughts and feelings, seeking out her motives. What he found though was exactly what he feared. She was just as astounded as them. This place…  
  
“It wasn’t a trap.” Lucki spoke out simply, “She didn’t know this place was here.”  
  
Quiet followed and it was Grammi that remarked, “You sure, darlin’?” her voice was gentle but wary. “Lady Bane’s a crafty ol’ witch.”  
  
Lucki frowned and nodded, “I know for sure. She may…have some control…” he frowned, forcing Lady Bane’s yelling and cursing to be silent, before continuing, “But I can see her feelings, her memories. She…doesn’t know this place. It’s…alien to her.”  
  
The group exchanged looks and Gusto spoke out, “I dunno…seems fishy to me still. Why else would this place suddenly open up because you fell, Lucko?”  
  
Sir Kai responded, walking over and touching the cub’s shoulder, the first time he had done so actually, “It’s how Lucki has always been.” The young knight eyed their two guest gummies, “Lucki has always been ridiculously lucky. From the day he was born.” He gave a half shrug at their guest travelers, “Hence his name.”  
  
Councilor Wooddale had been a little reluctant to discuss such things but Lucki was right. He could see into Lady Bane’s feelings and memories, as such was the norm for when one shared bodies with another. So, as much as she disliked the idea, anything she discussed about Lucki, Lady Bane would have known already. The fact that this evil sorceress knew so much about her family made her feel a little sick to her stomach. So much her family had endured in such a short time. Her brother-in-law and her little sister…  
  
Ameri had been a major surprise to her parents. Wooddale was old enough to be her mother, heck, even her grandmother when she had been born! Such a wide gap of age was rare among gummies but she remembered her younger sister, so full of life, so excited to learn from her elder sister. She had not spent nearly enough time with her. Now, she was gone and for a while, all Wooddale had remaining was Tavi. Now, she had been given her nephew back, by a twist of cruel magic and the idea of him dying…of being extinguished permanently, it could not come to pass. It would not!  
  
Her eyes still cold and firm, she locked eyes with her nephew and her nephew gazed right back at her. She could still see the taint of Lady Bane’s evil behind his eyes but there was no doubt her nephew was still there.  
  
“Lucki’s good fortune saved him many times.” She informed Gusto and Grammi. “When he was born nearly a month early, when he caught Cubs’ Fever when he was little…”  
  
“When he started training,” Ecri broke in, though he was beginning to explore the room with earnest, “there was an incident on the training field. The frames upon which we did a lot of our practices failed and collapsed in a mess of wood, steel and ropes. A horrible mess that crushed anything in their area under the weight. We rushed over, horrified of what we’d find…” He shook his head, reveling in the memory. “But Lucki was sitting there, hands over his head and shaking but completely unharmed. Everything had collapsed around him. He was sitting in the only untouched area for yards.” He eyed the boy, “So, yes, I do believe that it was plain dumb luck that led him here.”  
  
Berrybottom coughed lightly, “Regardless, let us take advantage and see what we can find. This was obviously meant to be hidden and if Lady Bane is unaware of it, we may well have found what we came seeking.”  
  
Without another word, the group split and began to plow through scrolls, books and notes with a deep passion

* * *

  
  
 ** _Dunwyn Castle_**  
Being queen was not fun.  
  
Oh, Calla had always known the responsibilities of her birthright but being forced into it, especially this young, was not something she ever pictured. She always thought her father would pass the crown to her only after many, many years, after she had married and possibly even after she had borne children. However, that was not the case. Granted, she had not actually been crowned just yet, at least not in an official ceremony but she would be soon. It was coming in a matter of weeks. Currently, she was still serving as queen and while she still technically bore the title of Princess most people had started to use her new title regardless. It felt weird.  
  
She was so thankful that while her father had been permanently injured and honestly, without gummi intervention WOULD have died, he could still offer her much needed counsel. She didn’t know how much longer as their medicine was sorely lacking, even with the gummies’ aid, but she would take advantage of it as long as she could. So far, he was always there when she needed him, to offer his much needed guidance. Both him and Sir Tuxford, she was deeply in their debt.  
  
And Cavin. That boy scarcely left her side now. More than once, she found herself just lying against his shoulder, simply taking comfort in his presence. A few times, at least at first, he had tensed but now he leaned back in kind. More than once, she had awakened to find Cavin sitting uncomfortably next to her, not wanting to move and wake her up, even when it would have helped him to do that. It was a rarity to find someone like that and she found that even though she bore the title of queen, his friendship with her had not wavered. Once or twice, she had called the other knights off of scolding him when he forgot to add “Queen” or “Your Majesty” in front of her name and simply had called her “Calla.” She had _not_ missed her father’s gentle smile at that nor the grinning exchange he had swapped with Sir Tuxford.  
  
However, even with the help and the clean-up after the last war, she was not exactly prepared for the group of villagers that entered the throne room, with two gummies leading their pack! They weren’t any gummies that she recognized but she did recognize the armor of the male gummi. The insignia of Gummadoon and she had seen that uniform on the female gummi before. Judging by the way she spoke to the humans that walked with them, it confirmed what her memory could only recall in patches. Yes, this gummi was a healer.  
  
The green furred and peach-furred gummies dropped to a knee before her briefly as the humans did the same, though they did not stand again while their gummi guides did. “Your Majesty,” the peach furred gummi began.  
  
The green furred gummi knight kept a firm look about the room, occasionally pushing some strands of black hair from his eyesight. Not mistrusting exactly but on guard. Given the history of gummi-human relations, Calla didn’t blame him. Standing, she approached, bidding the human group with these gummies to rise as well. “Please, friends.” She began, still getting a bit giddy at being able to call the gummies that publicly! “What brings you here and with so much sorrow?” She could hardly look at the faces of the human companions. She had rarely seen so much sadness and it was fresh. She could feel it.  
  
The knight stepped forward, speaking firmly, “Sir Timothi, of Gummadoon.” Tim had to admit that while he was still pledged to Gummadoon, it felt weird to introduce himself that way. While his Captain had given him leave to go with his new love on her quest, he had not been home in a long while it seemed. Maybe that was why it felt weird? Or was it because so much had happened in such a short amount of time? Eh, he knew better than that although that certainly carried some effect. No, truth be told, he was a yellow-rank knight. Young. He’d been granted the yellow rank when he was knighted due to his skills and performance during his knighthood test. He had not been a knight too long before he left with Sarrani. He was still used to “older” knights making the introductions and speeches! While not shy in the slightest, speaking with royals, especially in the wake of a newly born alliance!, was enough to make anyone’s knees shake! It was rare that he wished it but he found himself longing that his old mentor, Sir Burgess, was able to dictate whether or not he was making a fool of himself or not.   
  
No time for doubts. This queen was a friend, he had heard enough about her and Cavin (that had to be the brown haired boy standing next to her) from Cubbi. Even before officially meeting the cub as he worked himself sick, he had heard all the stories from the second that boy entered Gummadoon’s gates. It seemed that these two humans had good hearts about them! He could only hope that they also possessed listening ears. So much pain and conflict could have been avoided before in past years by the listening ear. Given the losses of these poor folk, they didn’t have time…  
  
“A pleasure, Sir Timothi. And please, Queen Calla is fine.” Truthfully, Calla wished she could have told him to drop the queen but she knew she had to keep up SOME appearances. She gestured to Cavin next to her, “My dearest friend and Sir Tuxford’s squire, Cavin.” (Later, Cavin would remind her that he was still a page to which she would reply ‘not anymore.’) “Welcome to Dunwyn, dear friends, though it looks like you bring some terrible news with you.” She set a comforting gaze on her subjects and the peach furred gummi woman spoke out,  
  
“Unfortunately, Queen Calla. I am Healer Sarrani, also of Gummadoon. My intended, Tim and I have been traveling for some time, trying to lend our aid where we are able. We came across these families during our travels in Ernst. They each, heart-breakingly, have lost their children to death of a mysterious type.”   
  
Calla closed her eyes and remarked, “My deepest sympathies to you all. Whatever aid you may require, the crown shall provide it.” She eyed the gummi healer, “But there’s more to it, isn’t there?’  
  
“I fear so, Queen Calla,” Timothi remarked. “It is not plague that we know of.”  He eyed his wife, “Sarrani and I agree—it is the result of some form of magical attack.”  
  
Frowning, Calla turned to Cavin, saying aloud, “Magical attack?”  
  
Cavin eyed the gummies, thinking, trying to stay calm “Do you know what kind of magic?”  
  
The mourning parents finally spoke out, “Our children…gone. My two boys…my little babies.” The woman nearly collapsed into tears again but Sarrani reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly.  
  
“We will find the reason behind this, the ones responsible.” She locked eyes with the mourning mother, saying softly, “I promise.”  
  
Sir Timothi approached, closing the space between himself and the royal leader. Not the wisest move but a raised hand to her knights stopped them from approaching. Tim could almost hear Sir Burgess scolding him for being too forward but the magical attacks…and on children no less…they did not have time. Sir Timothi wanted to get back to Gummadoon as soon as possible; this kind of magical attack needed the best minds on magic they could manage and unfortunately, that did not include the humans. Their knowledge of magic was nearly as limited as their knowledge of medicine.   
  
However, these poor folk…they needed to get them safe, get them somewhere where rituals could be performed for their lost ones…  
  
“It seems to be a magical attack, though it’s too advanced for what we can tell.” Timothi said softly. “Most magical attacks leave some residue, some sign. There was none with these poor children.” He sighed heavily, “There is normally some kind of remains. Even with burned bodies…” he winced as the mourning women began crying openly again, “There is some trace of bone. There is none.” He gestured to one of the women who uncapped the lid of her pot, revealing simple white ash, “It is just…dust.”  
  
Calla gave a simple nod and turned to the knights by the side of the room, “Sir Edmund, Sir Wymund.”  
  
Two knights, each with brown hair, immediately came forward, “Your Majesty?”  
  
“Please, help our guests to some comfortable chambers and summon a priest to aid them with their lost ones’ preparations.” She said simply. “I will speak with Sir Timothi and Lady Sarrani a bit more.” While they were reluctant to leave their queen with strangers, her tone of voice left no room for argument and these gummies did not seem to carry ill intent. Plus, if they had protested, it would have only infuriated their queen and that was something they did not want to have ti handle. She possessed the same heart as former King Gregor but with quite the spirit. So, they did as commanded, with a bow, focusing their attention on the grieving families.  
  
As the doors closed softly, Calla turned back to the two gummies, “You believe it to be a magical attack?”  
  
Sarrani nodded, “Yes, Queen Calla. As Timothi said, the remains were not simply burned remained. It was beyond that.” She sighed, “I say that because the remains, while looking like ashes, are not ashes. They are dust. There is a significant difference.” Biting her lower lip, she stated, solemnly, “The bodies they brought to us…they were dust, like what happens after bodies have been dead for decades yet the dust was fresh.” She eyed her fiancé, groaning lightly. “So much death and so young. It was magical in origin, that much is certain but that kind of magic is rare.”  
  
Calla frowned, “So it is not something that could be accomplished by a minor sorcerer?”  
  
“No.” Timothi said firmly, “Not this kind and not this many times over. Sarrani and I believe that it’s advanced magic. Though, neither of us are very versed in magical arts…”  
  
“We are planning,” Sarrani cut in gently, “to return to Gummadoon in short order to seek the advice of our Council Members. Magical arts, including all kinds of advanced forms, are their forte.”  
  
Frowning, Calla replied, pacing a little, “Even dark arts? Don’t you gummies avoid those?”  
  
Smiling at the girl’s keen knowledge and acceptance of gummi morals, Timothi responded, “You’re right, we do. However, we also have studied them over the years. Hard to combat something if you don’t understand it. It isn’t the most comforting topic to study but it is a necessary one.” That was a minor way of putting it. Very few people dared to enter that part of the library and even fewer ventured into the smaller library in the lower depths. “Trust us, our elders will know what it is and we’ll find a way to combat it.”  
  
Calla gave a nod of acceptance, saying, “You’re as worn as the families are,” she observed, kneeling slightly, “At least take a few hours of rest and some food. We have plenty.”  
  
“Your Majesty, we—“   
  
Sarrani interrupted Timothi, “We will take a few hours of rest but we cannot afford to wait too long.”   
  
Calla nodded, standing, “Follow me.” She headed for the exit of the room, Cavin following. Timothi fell into step next to his chosen one, eyeing her with curiosity.  
  
“Sarrani…”  
  
“We do need to hurry,” She agreed with his unspoken question, “But we will do little good if we arrive too exhausted to move. We’ve been traveling for a long time and we hadn’t had any time to eat and rest before the families came to us. I am not saying take the night but a few hours and some food at least.” Reaching out, she stroked Tim’s thick black locks a bit, “And you won’t have to eat that pickle.”  
  
Chuckling a little, he gave into her, as he usually did, “Alright. But just enough to become strong enough to travel. We have a lot of advantages, Sarrani but time isn’t one of them.”

* * *

  
 ** _Inside Emi’s Prison_**  
So cold and yet hot at the same time.  
  
Tavi’s eyes flew open and she was horrified to find that was all she could manage. Her entire body felt drained, like she had been running for days on end. Every breath was ragged though it caused her no pain. She did feel hot and cold though, as though she was suffering from a scalding fever in the middle of a snowstorm. Glancing around as much as she could, she found rain pouring down around her and tears erupted from her eyes. Realization of what had happened combined with the aftermath of it…  
  
She felt dirty.  
  
The power that had been torn from her, it had been ripped violently, passionately and without any regard for herself. Power was not simple to rip from another but it had been taken from her. She felt like someone had dug their hands deep into the darkest places of her soul and ripped opened all her weaknesses for everyone to see. She was naked, spiritually and her spirit felt it to the very core. Wrapping her arms around herself proved futile as they failed to respond to her desire. Just as everything did…nothing…she could not command anything.  
  
Helplessness caused a horrific snow and ice to simply flow about her, yet it burned as fire. Tears ran freely and she sobbed aloud, “What have I done? What have I let happen? I only wanted to save you, Lucki!”  
  
Her sobs only added to the horrendous hail that pelted the entire environment, an endless, floorless and ceilingless existence that had her caught in the middle like a fly in a web. She couldn’t even see Cubbi. Was he alive? Had he been thrust into some lost, formless existence like she had? The same place? A different place? Would she ever see him again? Ever see anyone again? Would there even be anyone left for her to see if she ever got out of here?!  
  
What was Emi able to do before? She found herself pondering, heart-aching. Would she do it again? Stupid question, she knew. Of course she would. It filled her heart with fear. They had heard brief reports on what Emi had done. Not very detailed but the tales they heard was enough. So full of pain, so full of anger. So much death she had caused. How many had she killed?  
  
All about her, the landscape swiftly shifted, changing. She felt things, deep in her heart, heard and understand languages that were foreign to her ears and yet her heart knew the emotions behind them. So sad, so frightening. She found the strength to bring her hands to her mouth as horrible, horrible, things began to unfold around her.  
  
 _With feet thundering over the wood planks, a black furred girl burst open the door of the library but not the main library. No, this was in a second library, the smaller one within Gummi Glen. The current magihistorian, green furred and haired Amiko turned, pushing a hair behind her ear. “Emi?” she inquired of the practically livid girl at the door, “What is it? What’s wrong?”  
The dark furred girl gave no verbal response, only advanced the magician, her fists clinched tight. When she opened her mouth and spoke, Old Gummi came out and while Tavi could not understand it, she felt so many different emotions cutting into her: anger, frustration, drive, desire, fear, sadness, pleading…  
The black furred girl pushed the elder gummi against the platform of the Great Book, clamping her hands around her older throat. She grasped the purple strap that kept the old bearess’ medallion around her neck and tugged, tightly, wrapping the strap so firm it seeped under the skin, leaving behind a thin line of red. So tight that the poor bearess’ throat then face turned purple and white. Until the eyes turned glassy and cold, dead. Until the muscles went lax and limp. Until the black furred girl dropped her to the ground heartlessly and went to remove the medallion.  
It protested, it hummed a golden color, resisting.   
She pulled, yanked.   
It shattered but maintained its golden hum as it merged, so similar to how hers had._  
  
Tavi felt sick and not on a physical level. It was not a feeling of nausea or dizziness but rather an overall feeling of being weakened, of being devoured by an ever-moving wave of sadness and despair. She fought against, pleaded with it but the images kept coming. She wanted them to stop but every moment she witnessed drove home deeper, ‘This is what she did before.” And now she was free again. Tavi clamped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes but it did little good in a realm that literally worked on the spiritual level. She still _felt_ every memory.  
  
 _“Emi!”  
Anni withdrew from her niece, backing against the wall. The room felt tiny and closed in, scary. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This was her bedroom, this was where she had shared many nights with her late husband, this was where Naomi had been born and where she was introduced to Emi from her brother before he left. It was supposed to be a place of happiness, of connection. This was the room where they had been so many glorious, wonderful moments between her family. Now, the furniture had been destroyed and she was pushed into a dark corner, her niece approaching like some form of a dark entity.  
“What, Auntie?” She cooed coldly, “You could have avoided this but no. No, you had to keep what was rightfully mine away from me. Until I took it force.”  
“Emi, darling, please.” The gummi woman pleaded, her dark red hair trailing into her eyes, “I swear, all I was trying to do was protect you, to make sure you weren’t—“  
“You kept me from what was mine.” Emi interrupted her, approaching her slowly, with a steady gait even as her hands hummed with power. “You tried to keep it from me. Well, now, dear Auntie, I’ve taken what’s mine. Now, I know what I’m capable of. I know what I can do. Now, you learn to never keep anything from me,”  
The surge of power from her hands was quick and direct.   
Anni’s heart had stopped before her head hit the floor._  
  
Tavi screeched, clutched her hands so tight over her ears that had that been a physical form, they would have popped.   
  
_Naomi gasped for air, crawled on her hands and knees away from that horrible scene in the hallway. Her cousin had lost her mind. She’d killed Amiko, killed her mother, Anni. She had also killed her; Naomi was no fool, she knew that her injuries were mortal. She was leaving a smear of blood on the hallway as she crawled away. She might have been able to save herself if she had tried to flee sooner but instead, she found herself lying still, holding her breath until she heard her cousin disappear down the hall. She could not risk her cousin being close.  
She would die. That much she knew but there was a chance, a slim chance, that the baby she carried in her womb would not. Putting a hand firm against her stomach, she winced, “Stay with me, my sweet. Don’t die.”  
  
An explosion in the Quicktunnels, the collapsing of stone and wood, burying people alive.  
  
The people of Gummerset fleeing a fire only to be cornered by a livid Emi.  
  
An invasion of South Gumpton where the land itself attacked…_  
  
Tavi curled into a ball, rocking back and forth. So much death, so much power…what was she supposed to do against it? What could she do? She had already done the worst thing she could do; she had released her. She had let the murderer loose. Now, her family…her brother was going to disappear forever and her aunt was going to be killed. Then what? Everyone she cared about…she had just signed all their death warrants! What…what had she done? She had not listened. She had been warned, told by Cubbi that something was wrong…  
  
Cubbi…Where are you? What do we do now? What do we do?  
  
The curtain of rain served well to hide her shame.

* * *

  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
The search of the old forgotten chamber was proving to be successful. While they had yet to uncover a great many things about Emi, they had uncovered dozens of manuals on dark magic. Manuals that no doubt would have proved disastrous in the old witch’s hands. Grammi could almost hear the witch cursing as they removed the books and packed them up. They would not be destroyed necessarily but they could prove invaluable as teaching tools. So often, when faced with darkness they were more than a bit lost. It was evident that the time had come to renew their learning of it.  
  
Lucki tried to ignore the screeching in his head but it was getting harder and harder. One thing was apparent. While he was strong fighter, while he was determined, he also possessed the body and endurance of his eleven years of age and that was fading with every passing hour. Fighting Lady Bane from trying to use every dark volume they came across was making it worse. He had to keep fighting her, had to keep her mouth shut, had to keep pushing her will down. She was tiring but darn if she wasn’t pushing every angle she could.  
  
He was tired.   
  
Sliding to the ground, he took a heavy breath, staring at his hands. Movement made him turn as Councilor Wooddale slid down slowly to kneel next to him.  
  
“Lucki?” she inquired softly. Reaching out gently, she stroked some of his dark green hair back. He was shaking, a little but not badly. Under normal circumstances, she would have brushed it off but knowing what she did about her nephew, knowing what may happen to him, every little movement made her nervous. Made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want him to just vanish before her eyes. No, no, that could not happen. It would not happen. She was going to make sure of that.   
  
Taking a moment to reply, the cub stated with a worn face, “Just tired, Aunt Toffi.”  
  
Biting her lip, a strong hand on her shoulder made her turn. Councilor Berrybottom gave her a soft grin, “Do not fret so, Toffi,” he advised. “The boy has been fighting to keep Lady Bane under control, plus a long ride and some harsh physical travels. He is a child. Being tired is not a cause for alarm.”  
  
Nodding, just once, she stood, saying, “Take a moment, Lucki. I don’t want you overexerting yourself.”  
  
“Me neither.” He remarked cheekily as she walked off.   
  
Leaning against the wall of shelves, he had scarcely enough time to tell that annoying sorceress to “be quiet for Gum’s sake” again before the old worn wood behind him gave way and he crashed through it with a yelp of both surprise, fear and pain. Landing hard on his back, his arms quickly went to cover his head but the falling books never made contact. Opening one eyes, wincing, he saw Councilor Berrybottom approaching, his medallion glowing. Groaning, the cub worked to push the broken bits of shelving off himself when something caught his eye.  
  
Standing on his tiptoes, he stared at what looked to be a hidden pocket behind the wooden shelving. It looked like it had been some kind of locked compartment but when the walling had given in, it had torn part of it away. Thinking quickly, he turned, “Sir Ecri!”  
  
The purple furred knight approached and Lucki didn’t ask, just climbed up to the knight’s shoulder, saying, “Gimme a boost.”  
  
Well used to this from the other squires, Ecri stood still as Lucki dug out an old tattered looking notebook. No, not even that, it looked like a bunch of parchment tied together loosely with string with a minimal protective cover. Slipping from the knight’s shoulder to the ground, he pressed down Lady Bane’s presence and started to skim the pages, slowly. “Latin,” he reported. “I…can make out a few words…attack….magic…gummi!” He turned to the knight by his side, the others seeming to have vanished away as far as he was concerned, “This is talking about Emi, I'm sure of it!!”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummi Glen’s Depths_**  
  
Zummi kept his eyes tightly closed for a long moment. Opening them, he exhaled noisily, frustration apparent in his eyes, “I…I tannot cell, er, cannot tell.” He eyed Gruffi and the others with defeat clear in his face, in his position, in the very feeling surrounding him. “I…can only tell a great deal of power was released here. As for what it did to…or where it sent…” He closed his eyes again; he didn’t want to think about what horrible things might have befallen their children, no matter how quick it might have been. “I can’t tell.”  
  
The entire atmosphere seemed to collapse upon itself.   
  
Sunni screeched, “What? With all the stuff gummi magic is capable of and it can’t even tell you if they’re…or not?” She trailed off, choking on her own emotions. Gruffi put a simple hand on her shoulder, unable to summon much more than that. His own mind was thrashing with what Zummi had just said. So, that meant they didn’t know whether to hope or not. They didn’t even have an idea of what to look for, of what to not look for, of what direction to turn. Gruffi felt utterly lost, completely helpless and he hated that feeling.  
  
The teenaged Glen girl slipped from the grip of her elder and slipped to the side, slamming her fist into the side of the room, sobbing, “Can’t you tell us anything?!”  
  
To her surprise, someone answered and not anyone present.  
  
“Chatta,” came a quiet gentle tone from seemingly everywhere at once!  
  
Yelping, Sunni jerked back and Gruffi quickly pushed her behind him as the three knights drew their swords and Corvi put himself between Zummi and their strange new entity, drawing his dagger. As the tense group watched, slowly, the surface of the wall shifted, eventually formed the outline of a female gummi, bright yellow in coloring with darker yellow hair that fell in waves to her waist. She wore nothing but then she was barely what one could call a form. She was translucent, a spirit!  
  
Corvi bit his lower lip but spat at the form, not trusting, “Tamoyok!” This thing, whatever it was, was speaking Old Gummi so he responded in kind. What was this? Another trick of Emi?!  
  
Shaking her see through head slightly, the gummi lady replied, in her simple gentle tone, “E’dah, ee(h)-ko-beisa.” She directed that statement directly at Corvi and Sunni.  
  
Zummi stared at her for the longest before stepping forward, gently reassuring Corvi with a hand on the shoulder, “By the Ancients…Lumina?”  
  
A sad smile from the gummi lady, who simply nodded. Zummi felt a surge of pain in his heart. One of their original elders, Sunni’s own grandmother and yet he could not speak to her directly. He turned to Corvi, “C-corvi, this is Lumina, Sunni’s grandmother. Can..can you…”  
  
Swallowing hard, Corvi stepped forward, sheathing his dagger. “ < Milady, forgive me. > ” he began in Old Gummi, though it felt nerve wracking to be talking to a ghost. It was quite apparent that was what this gummi was. Gummi ghosts were not unheard of but were still so rare that encountering one was sickening. He had thought seeing the faint images in that hallway and hearing those moans was bad enough. No…no, it was beyond that. This poor gummi lady. But that name was so familiar and if she was Sunni’s grandmother…  
  
Ramsei came to the conclusion, speaking out, “Didn’t you say that Lumina was one of the gummies who constructed Emi’s prison?”  
  
The gummi ghost nodded to his inquiry, though she answered in Old Gummi. Apparently, Old Gummi was all she could speak though she had no problem understanding common, “ < Indeed, I am. I was the main mind behind it. > ”  
  
Corvi quickly fell into a pattern of translating for the adults and responding back to the spirit. It was truly awe-inspiring for the other gummies to witness. The way the boy switched from one language to the other was flawless. No delay, nothing of the sort to indicate he had to even translate. It made even Sir Ramsei feel a bit humbled. Sir Plucki tried to take all of this in stride, as much as possible. At least they could speak directly to the bearess and she seemed to understand them. “Milady,” he said softly, trying to keep the desperation from his voice, “Our cubs, Cubbi and Tavi. Do you know if…”  
  
A soft, delicate smile from her and she reached out, touching both Plucki and Gruffi on the cheek with a clear hand, “ <They live. > "  
  
Corvi translated.  
  
Gruffi nearly collapsed to the ground, “Thank Gum. Thank Gum…”  
  
The Gummadoon Captain likewise let out a silent prayer of thanks and Sunni and Zummi hugged one another deeply as Ramsei and Gumlittle leaned on one another in relief. The emotional energy in the room suddenly felt entirely more optimistic. Though the room still was practically drenched in negative and dark magic, it felt as though a single candle had been lit, chasing away the horrible lonely cold of depression. They all took a moment to bask within it before the gummies began to inquire of this spirit,  
  
“Where are they?” Gruffi.  
  
“ < They live. They are within the prison I created for Emi. She has barred them inside. > ” Oh, there was quite a reaction once Corvi spoke that translation. Lumina raised her hand for quiet and continued, without inquiry, “ <I cannot stay for long. It takes much energy to appear as I am. That is why I am the only one to appear as such. We may only emerge one at a time. >  ”  
  
“We?” Gumlittle inquired.  
  
“ < Yes, all the spirits that still linger here. > ” Lumina shook her head, “ < Truthfully, it was from my grandchild’s touch that I found strength enough to try. > ” she directed her face to Sunni and the glen girl could not have denied their relation if she had tried. She felt suddenly very small and heart-filled. She had no memories of her parents and to be faced, here, with the spirit of her grandmother…it was unreal! The spirit of Lumina reached out and brushed her cheek, ever so slightly, “ < So beautiful, my darling. You look so much like your mother. My dearest Solei. > "  
  
Corvi swallowed, “ < You...said you made the prison, milady?>    
  
Drawing her maternal gaze from Sunni, she turned back to Corvi, “ < Yes, my brave boy. I did. It took a great bit of life from me but that was not ultimately what killed me. No, Emi was not happy when she found I had been working on it. But her attack came only after it had been completed, thank Gum for small favors. > ” She took a breath (could ghosts breathe?) and went on, “ < Your children are unharmed. The prison is made from emotion. It is only through emotion that they will find the other exits. > ”  
  
Upon Corvi’s translation, Sir Ramsei inquired, “Where are the other exits?”  
  
“ < All around. > ” she replied, “ < The exits are formed from gummi hearts—where a large amount of emotion from gummi spirits has centered. That is where you will find an exit. They must find it. You must also find it. And you must coach them through it. > ”  
  
“Coach?” Gruffi frowned, “How in Gum’s name do we coach them through an emotional door?”  
  
“ < With emotion. With heart. With caring. You must speak without words and hear without ears. > ” A pause and it was evident that she was losing strength, “ < Only once healing occurs can escape be possible. I can tell you that the strongest exit exists within Gummadoon’s walls. > ”  
  
She wavered then, stating, “ < I cannot linger any longer. Go quickly. Even Emi needs time to recover. Use it to your advantage. > ”  
  
Then, just as quickly as she had arrived, Lumina Gummi vanished.   
  
Quiet reigned only a moment before Gruffi Gummi spat, “So the same prison we’ve been wanting to figure out how to seal, we now have to break open?” He groaned aloud but made no other sound. He  was reeling, emotionally. Cubbi was alive. Thank Gum. Trapped but alive. Not the best situation and Emi being free was definitely NOT the best situation but damn it all, at least Cubbi was alive! Him and Tavi apparently. Though, that ol’ gummi gal could have been a little less vague! Was that a rule, that spirits couldn’t be straight forward?!  
  
Plucki nodded simply, “So it seems.” He was just as frustrated as Gruffi but at least the cubs weren’t dead. HIS cub wasn’t dead…  
  
Sunni spoke out, though still pale, “She said the strongest exit was in Gummadoon, what could that be?”  
  
Zummi frowned, thinking aloud, “It would have to be something with a mot of lemories…er, a lot of memories attached to it. Memories carry emotional power.”  
  
Nods abound though Gumlittle sighed, “There are a great many things within Gummadoon that fill that description, my friend. It is an old city with many centuries of memories.”  
  
No one mentioned it but the way she said they must coach—to see without eyes and hear without ears, that was frustrating in its own right! While Plucki knew that spirits had to follow certain rules, he wanted answers. He wanted to know what he needed to do, do it, and pull that poor child up into his arms and never let him go. He wanted to see for himself that the cub was safe, that no harm had come to him. The longer he stood here, helpless, the more he desired to begin to act.  
  
“So back to Gummadoon?” Sir Gumlittle stated, looking around “And then we gather forces and begin to look for this exit?”  
  
Nods of agreement and the small group slowly headed back the way they came. As they walked, Corvi frowned. There was something here. Something familiar. It was hard to define what was so familiar but there was something here that called to his spirit. It was like being faced with someone you knew so well, so well that you could have recited everything about them and yet their name somehow escaped your memory. Infuriating and young Corvi found himself slowly withdrawing from the group.  
  
Sir Plucki noticed right away, “Squire Corvi!” he called after the boy, trying to get his attention with his title.  
  
It did no good. The boy kept walking.  
  
Plucki and Gumlittle went after the boy, with the rest of their group stopping. While angry at the delay, Gruffi felt something had to be afoot. That cub was mature enough to be fully grown and now he was wandering off when they had little time to figure out how to save their cubs? No, it had to be something else. Turning to Zummi, Gruffi inquired, “Some kind of spell going on here?”  
  
Looking at his medallion, the amateur wizard found it dull. “No. No magic, Gruffi.”  
  
As for Corvi, he reached the edge of the room, stretched out a hand and brushed the wall. Why, he really couldn’t say. He had no reason to. Heck, he could feel Ramsei rolling his eyes behind him but he didn’t care. Something…there was SOMETHING here. Something important, by Gum!  
  
“Corvi.”  
  
Much like with Lumina, the wall took on a form as the Old Gummi language poured into the room, echoing with a deep, rich baritone.  
  
That…voice….  
  
Then, from the depths of that wall, that form…that golden fur, that yellow hair, that tall undefeatable figure, still wearing the gummi knight armor that had brought him such pride. As the face grew clearer and clearer, Corvi’s stance weakened, his eyes filled with tears. With that shadowy wisp of an arm reached out, cupped his face, he finally cracked, finally broke, “Pa…papa.”  
  
“ < Yes. >” the figure replied,  "< It's me. >"  
  
The small group that had flanked Corvi withdrew, just slightly as the form of one of their brothers-in-arms, lost to battle long ago, took shape right before them. Sir Gustav! Corvi’s father, killed so unfairly when Corvi was but Cubbi’s age. Lost in one on one combat to the gummi they sought to defeat even now. Yet, here he was before them, looking just as he always had, save the soft mist appearance of a spirit parted from its body. Corvi, for all his maturity, clutched at that misty hand like a lifeline.  
  
“ < Papa. > ” he repeated, his voice catching not just from emotion but with the very distinct crack of a boy’s voice becoming a bear’s. “ < Papa, why are you here? We aren't of Gummi Glen. > ”  
  
“ < No. > ” the knight agreed, “ < But all Emi's victims are here. >”  
  
Face paling, Corvi glanced around, hearing all their voices though his sights always returned to his father’s. “ <Aye, little Corvi. All her victims are here. All who have fallen by her magic, by her hand, by her plans. We linger here. Not able to move on, not able to rest and only able to communicate minimally. It took all I had to give you that little push at the gravesite. > ”  
  
Shaking visibly, Corvi squeaked, “What? All those she’s killed are damned here? Here with all that black magic polluting the place?!”  
  
The others only had Corvi’s side of the conversation to go off of but that was enough. Quite the chatter developed and despite that, Corvi heard none of it. He had only ears and eyes for his father, who still shimmered before him, simply calm but obviously not meant for long conversation, much like Lumina, it seemed. _“ < _That is Emi’s sickening final stab. > _”_ Gustav repeated, _“ < _Her victims have no rest, they have no peace. No means to move on. > _”  
  
_ “ < No! > ” Corvi shook his head violently, “ < No, that isn’t right. Papa, you can’t tell me that your soul is damned here! > "  
  
 _“ < _Until that evil spell is lifted, it is. >” Gustav said simply, matter-of-factually. “ < I wait. We all wait. Her time is limited. Until then, we wait. > _”  
  
_ “No!” Corvi spat, his vocals vibrating off the walls, “No!” he repeated in common again, “No, you’re supposed to be with Tori. With Mama!”   
  
He heard the distinct sound of shocked silence but paid it no mind, so far gone from the present as he was. He had told Blastus and that knight had only told a scarce few. There had not been meeting between the knights long enough for Plucki, for Gumlittle, for Ramsei to be aware. Their shocked glances fell on a numb back.“I told Morri and Cori you were with Mama! I told them that you were with Tori! You’re supposed to be there, with them, at peace! Not rotting away here! Not being poisoned here!” His voice broke again, tears staining his face, “Not…with this…blackness here.”  
  
 _“ < _When Emi falls, so will her spell > _” Gustav said simply. “ <_Same spell that makes talking hard for us, the same spell that keeps our language to Old Gummi, the same spell that keeps us bound here. When that falls, then I will pass on, Corvi. You need to focus on that. > _”_ His visage swayed a moment, fading _. “ < _The same call you felt from me. That is how you call to your lost ones. That’s what will bring your Cubbi and Tavi back. > _”_ He smiled, again _, “ < _That’s what you need to focus on now.> _”  
  
_ “No!” Corvi tore forward but his father’s spirit shimmered then faded then vanished, much as Lumina’s had done, back into the prison of hard walls. Corvi fell to his knees on the ground, his hands pressed against the hard stone. “P-papa.”  
  
Sir Ramsei approached, though slowly, placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Come, Corvi. We cannot serve the dead here.”  
  
Corvi hissed, growled, threw Ramsei’s hand off, snarling through clenched teeth, “I can’t leave Papa here. You expect me to leave my father’s spirit here?!” In a bit of hysteria, the teen clawed at the solid stone, which of course did nothing aside from tear at his hands, rip at his claws. “No! I can’t leave Papa here! I can’t leave Papa here!” Somewhere, perhaps at the very base of his mind, he knew this was fruitless, knew it to be foolish even but to imagine his father was here, stuck here, with so much darkness in the air that your very spirit felt ill, “No! I’ve lost Tori, I’ve lost Mama! If Lucki dies again, he’ll…no! I can’t leave Papa’s spirit here! I can’t! I can’t!”   
  
Reason and his father’s words seemed to slowly sink in as the boy had stopped his frantic clawing at the wall and just slipped to the ground, blood staining his hands, “I…can’t.."


	45. Chapter 45

__**Gummadoon Councilchamber**  
  
Sarrika exited the main councilchambers, her mind on the fact that they could seek no further answers from either the pursuit of a new Gummadoon Staff or the book from which they'd received word of such defeating news. They... could not lock Emi Gummi away.

"Healer Sarrika?"

She looked up from her thoughts, her eyes latching onto the face of Karleni. The haggard bearess looked a bit improved from her previous state, which was encouraging, but Sarrika had no idea what brought her out of her research so soon. "Did you find something?" Please let it be so!

"Yes, but... Well, I'd found a clue to," and she leaned near to whisper the last word. "Concordia."

"Yes?" If such could be retrieved, perhaps they could use it to seal or even heal Emi of whatever had poisoned her in the first place, for surely no gummi went insane without cause. She believed that with all her heart, just as she knew the way Emi Gummi was now would lend no mercy if she chose to attack anyone or anything. She'd come to embody the nightmare of two traits no gummi possessed: bloodthirsty and merciless.

"It's not going to help, though. It's divided into parts, according to legend, and a piece to each clan. We've no time to ask around or search for such a thing, though it states that the location of each piece is found with those who keep knowledge. I... I'm not good with riddles but the part about it being divided and each piece far apart from the second was quite clear. Is your research proving more fruitful?"

Sarrika looked away from the mother's pleading eyes. "I, too, found similar information. The Gummadoon Staff which was key to imprisoning Emi cannot simply be remade. It would take too long and require magical power we simply don't possess at this time."

"But... what of if and when she attacks? The stories I'd heard as a teen, and what happened yesterday with the sleep sand..." Karleni shuddered. Not even being possessed by Lady Bane could frighten her like Emi Gummi. Make her hate herself for being weak, hate herself for what she'd been made to do to her son, but not afraid. She felt she might be able to stand up to that sorceress, though she hadn't felt the witch's grip on her of late. No, she feared Emi, who had possessed her so easily and not over the course of days, weeks, as Lady Bane had. She was not certain if she could fight Emi possessing her and it terrified her.  
"Well, we'll simply go together. There must be something in the darker subject material about combatting such evils. There has to be. And we must not shy away from those stories. We must remember all we can of what she could do, because in doing so we can better arm ourselves against the types of attacks that may come."

Thus fortified with a new mission, the two lady gummies continued back down to the older libraries to seek the ancient knowledge buried therein.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummi Glen, the site of Emi's Prison_**  
  
Amid the broken glass, the stone walls, and the black aura of stinging misery and acrid loss of hope, Corvi's sobs rang against the silence. "I can't..."

Not even gruff Sir Ramsei moved to urge him up.

Plucki sighed softly, so sick of the terribleness of the room, of the lack of light and good. It ate at one's soul to be here. But he once more braved the place and knelt by the yellow-furred cub who'd placed his head against the wall, his bloody hands fallen limply into his lap. "Corvi... I'm not Sir Blastus but I'm here for you. We all are. Lean into me, boy. I've got you."

Mentally wrecked, Corvi did not resist the knight-captain's gentle hands pulling him near. The teen then began wailing into his chest, letting out tears of anguish and anger and fear.

Those waiting outside the room gave them space. They were glad to do it. Sirs Gumlittle and Ramsei were first to enter again into the brighter halls of Gummi Glen, followed by Sunni, Gruffi, and Zummi.

Gruffi shook his head. "To think, all this time..."

Zummi similarly looked lost. "It's... unspeakable, what that ditch wid... er, witch did."

"My poor grandmother..." Sunni looked back in the direction of Emi's prison. "All those poor souls... Gruffi? Zummi?" She faced the elders of her clan, the father figures in her life who'd helped raise her. "How in the world did all this happen? Why doesn't anyone know how Emi got to be like this, or why she did?"

Gruffi looked on Sunni and saw no fear in her eyes. Nope. That was anger, determination. She wanted answers. "We just... don't know."

"But... all those spirits... There's gotta be at least one who knows. Right? Well, I'm gonna go back and ask."

"Sunni, I don't--"

Ignoring Gruffi's protests, the Glen girl turned on her heels and ran back to the dark room containing the remains of Emi's prison.

None of the others followed her. Were they that scared? She didn't wanna be in this room any more than necessary but this felt necessary to her. They had to at least take this chance while they could, while they had a translator. And Sir Plucki was even walking toward her with Corvi.

"Corvi, I know you've been through a lot but I gotta ask... I have an important question for the spirits here and if they answer I need you to translate. Can you do that?"

At first reluctant, the blonde gummi squire stood straighter and gave a confident nod.

Passing him first a smile of thanks, Sunni took in a breath, let it out, and called into the darkness, "Hello? Can you still speak to us?" She knew it probably took a lot of energy to appear, to even speak, if they were trapped in this place and not allowed to pass on but she had to try and get them to do it again.

When silence met her query, she called again. "Please? We need to know why Emi went crazy. How did a gummi turn into, well, something like her?"

She felt it first, then sounds could be made out. Voices from the dark began to stir. Very faint at first but she was patient and listened carefully. So did Corvi. Good, because, like before, they only spoke in Old Gummi.

The blonde-furred squire looked from the walls where the voices originated to the yellow-furred Glen girl who'd rushed back in to pester the spirits for more answers. He heard them, knew the words they spoke, but it was the strength behind them and not the meaning which made him gasp.

Sunni threw a glance at Corvi but daren't take her eyes off the wall in case another spirit materialized to speak to them. "What... what are they saying?" Because it was a 'they' and not a single voice. Sounded like they were all saying the same thing, over and over, and as loud as they could.

Corvi gave a brief shudder, felt under Sir Plucki's comforting hold on his shoulder. "They, uh, they're saying 'altered self'."

"So... she changed herself?"

The squire shook his head. "That's what it translates to. What the words mean is that she's got a tainted soul. It's been warped, somehow. They must be able to see it or feel it because, well, they're souls, too." He paused, cleared his throat, because it had cracked in a very dramatic crescendo on the word 'souls'. Stupid body changes... He ignored it as best he could, thankful the two gummies with him didn't make mention of it, and added, "I don't think they know how it happened, Sunni. Just that something did happen to make her turn out the way she is."

Sir Plucki lessened his supportive hold on Corvi. The boy seemed much more centered after Sunni returned. "Thank you, Sunni." He chose not to specify thanks for helping get Corvi's mind off his father's soul or for the information gathered but it was implied in the thanks that both were meant.

The Glen girl smiled at the knight's gratitude. "Any time, Sir Plucki. We all want answers. It just seemed a good idea to ask. It wasn't much but maybe some more information can be pieced together from that? You guys have Lady Bane kind of trapped so maybe you can grill her for more specific information because that witch has to know something about Emi. If she says no, I wouldn't believe her."

"Agreed." Plucki remarked.

As they started out of the prison room once more, the three remained quiet. They were greeted expectantly by Sir Ramsei, Sir Gumlittle, Gruffi, and Zummi when they passed the worst of the depressing presence of dark magic surrounding the area.

"Did we hear correctly? Emi Gummi has a tainted soul?" Sir Ramsei asked, his eyes sharp and tone right to the point. Truthfully, Sir Plucki had seen him like this before. He tended to act like this when he was working around a fear.

"Yes." Plucki replied, continuing to lead them out of the Glen's lower levels. Gruffi and Zummi stayed close by him to catch every word, as did Sunni. "Perhaps it was a corrupting magic sickness that infested her soul, found when she went looking for too much magic power. Or someone may have done this to her as a curse. Either is a possibility. We know a little more, but it is little more. It's time to return, gather together all that we've discovered, and be as prepared as we can. If nothing else, time has taught us that Emi Gummi is relentless. She's subtly been targeting Gummadoon. It's only a matter of time until she attacks. Regrettably, time is not on our side."

The frank speech Sir Plucki gave did not dishearten the group but strengthened their resolve to get back faster and be prepared for anything that may come.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Outside Dunwyn Castle_**  
  
Their stay of rest lasted only three hours before both Sir Timothi and Healer Sarrani could take no more of the inactivity. They'd shared a rather nice stuffed quail and fresh baked bread which made them drowsy but neither actually slept. Lay down next to each other on a provided bed, yes. Listen to the comfort of the other breathing, most assuredly. It was such a luxury, though, it ate at the both of them until they'd sat up as one and said, "We really need to go." Grinning at how in sync they were, the engaged couple had sought Queen Calla again.

"We've a carriage awaiting you which will carry you swiftly back to Gummadoon. Though both myself and Squire Cavin are very willing to accompany you, I fear we're needed here to fortify the castle and make plans if this threat you've warned us about comes anywhere near Dunwyn. We eagerly await word of what you discover in Gummadoon and can lend aid as needed."

"I agree, Your Majesty, and thank you in advance." Sarrani said.

And that had been that. She and Tim had boarded the carriage quickly and off they now were, headed straight for Gummadoon.

As the carriage wheels clacked and bumped against the rocks of the road, their legs bouncing and swinging in the too-large seats of the conveyance, Sarrani glanced over at Tim, seated across from her. He gave her a nod of encouragement and a smile, which she returned. Who knew what they were venturing toward, or away from, but Gummadoon must be warned.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane's Palace, Hidden Antechamber_**  
  
Councilors Berrybottom and Wooddale entered the hidden section of rotting room, followed by Gusto, Grammi, Sirs Kai and Horli.

Berrybottom stepped closer to Ecri and Lucki and held a hand out for the fragile manuscript in Lucki's grasp. "Let me see. I am fair in Latin."

Lucki started to hand it to him but his arms stopped pushing forward. The cub frowned. Not just any frown but a deep frown of concentration. He then turned his eyes up to Sir Ecri. "You better take it. She's not gonna give it up without a fight."

When Berrybottom took the tome, Lucki's dialogue turned inward. _Knock it off! This isn't even yours so it's not like we're gonna learn any of your secrets!_

_I am fluent in Latin, brat! You're all wasting time!_

_Oh, you're one to talk! If you'd stop making such a fuss, we could get our answers sooner and actually prepare for Emi's assault, maybe even find a way to defeat her._

"Oh dear..." Berrybottom said under his breath, his eyes darting between Wooddale and the manuscript in his hands. "This is... a sort of documentation of Emi's exploits. She's... actually gloating about how easy it was to turn humans against us." He gulped, not having the stomach for more of that sort of thing.

"Here." Sir Ecri beckoned for the journal. "I can read Latin. Some anyway."

And the manuscript was passed to the lavender-furred knight.

"Yes," Ecri said, paling at the content. "It's... fairly descriptive. I can..." He trailed off as Lucki, next to him, sank slowly to his knees.

Grammi, seeing Lucki's body go lax, marched up to him and said to the possessor inside him, "You leave that poor boy alone, you hear me?" the Glen matriarch demanded.

Lady Bane, taking over the cub's worn body, smirked mightily up at her. "This is my area of expertise and my home that you've invaded. I suggest you alter your tone, and give me access to that manuscript. I grew up with Latin lessons, among other things. Let me see it. Now."

The gummies passed a round of looks, none of them willing to trust Lady Bane, however they felt they had little choice if there was even a chance she could aid in their research, or even speed it up.

The tome was passed to Lucki's hands.

Lady Bane snatched it away and read greedily from the beginning. Silently of course. Not that the brat she inhabited couldn't hear her mental translations. Couldn't be helped. Perhaps, if it be gruesome enough, he'd go back and hide in his corner of the brain. Disgusting wretch. And just look at this penmanship. Almost all perfect letters, but some were not quite in line. Sloppy. She could still hear her mother demanding perfection of her own penmanship, though not bothering to demonstrate it. Too time consuming. That's what Jason was for. Brother, tutor, nursemaid. But he'd had sloppy penmanship and was condemned for passing it on to "Little Bane". Odd how the more she read this writing, the more familiar it seemed. It reminded Lady Bane of her mother's handwriting so much in fact...

As she read, the sorceress's thoughts derailed away from condemning her possessed host. Gripping the manuscript tightly in both hands, she poured over the page before her. No. No, it couldn't be that similar. It was too much of a coincidence, or her mind was playing tricks.

_Emi writes like your mother? Did your mom tutor her, too, and you just didn't know it?_

_No._ Lady Bane wrestled with the idea briefly. Pretend friendship, murder and steal, delude and imprison? Yes. Teach anyone anything that she knows? Never.

 _I... I don't know._ But the idea, the one thought that kept coming to her, would not leave her be. To the point that she, too, retreated from the manuscript, and even from the pestering of the cub. No. Too similar, and yet... those irregularities in the lettering. Not all of the time. Just... infrequent. No, it couldn't be. Mother would never tutor an enemy, even one she desperately wanted to gain power from... Would she?

"It's bothering her, too." Lucki reported when he got control back. Easy to do when Lady Bane retreated like that. "I... got all the translation that she was reading but there's something in the words that's got her a bit spooked."

"Do you know what, specifically?"

Lucki shook his head at his aunt's query. "Sorry, Aunt Toffi. She's trying to hide stuff from me again, but whatever it is, it's beginning to scare her."

He wanted to rest some more, and Lady Bane seemed stuck in her mental corner as she reasoned whatever out, and the others were busy poking about the rest of the decrepit room, but, without warning, Lady Bane pushed him easily out of the way, forced his body to a stand, and demanded of all, "We must leave."

Gusto looked up from a disintegrating book covered in dust. He grinned at her. "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Nothing. We just need to leave. She may already have gotten out. She could come back here, thinking it is still a safe haven. We need to leave now."

Her insistence was unnerving, like she knew something they didn't. Lucki also wasn't cutting in to tell them otherwise.

"I... suppose we've gotten everything we can from these two rooms." Berrybottom said, meaning the scrolls and tomes from the prior room as well as Emi's personal journal which Lady Bane still clutched in Lucki's grasp.

"Don't tax the boy's body." Sir Ecri warned the sorceress inside Lucki. "I'll help you up. You'll go second to last, then me."

Lady Bane made the cub's mouth twist into a saccharine grin. "That's fine, but before we leave, there is a very important book I must retrieve from my study."

"No way, lady!" Gusto exclaimed, loud with both his denial and the humor he felt over her request.

"I insist. I could wrack the cub with horrible pain until you capitulate, but I'll simply use reason. That book contains spells which will counter what your terrible and shameful ancestor can throw at you. It is absolutely necessary. I doubt you've the resources or knowledge of the dark arts to build a case against me and we've little time so, onward, to my study." And she gestured imperiously up." Oh, and do mind the troggles."

* * *

  
 ** _Tavi's prison_**  
  
The memories... The memories had ceased for now. They'd been terrible, soul-eating memories she couldn't bear to see again, and yet, when they left her sobbing in a self-recriminating darkness, that is when her own nightmare began.

The darkness of inner suffering surrounded her. It was cold and burning and filled with stabbing pain; the silence a screeching black miasma which bled red streaks. There was no longer an up or down, only vertigo and a spinning wasteland of emptiness which had permeated the depth of her being. Vast and unending and swallowing.

_Am I alive? Am I dead? Does it matter? Tired. So tired... What have I done? What have I done?! I should die... So tired... Such terrible things. I'm as bad as she was. I let her out! How could I have let her out? I've killed them all!... So tired... Tired..._

The inky void engulfed more of what could still be recognized as Tavi Gummi, though the streaks in her spectral hair still blazed a bright gold color. It was the only light in the self-perpetuating darkness but a light Tavi unfortunately could no longer see or feel.

* * *

  
 ** _Cubbi's prison_**  
  
"It's too hard!" Growling in frustration, Cubbi regretted it immediately as the surroundings altered in response, turning a crimson and burnt orange shade which hissed and gave off a solid heat he tried to shy away from.

 _ **"No, Cubbi. Don't do that."** _ the calm spirit of Aldi told him. He was unaffected by the hissing heat, or at least he looked like he didn't feel it.

"This is stupid! I'm stupid!" Cubbi admonished, feeling it the truth through and through.

Again, the landscape around him altered from a burning red to freezing black, slick and cloying. It was hard to breathe... or that's how it felt. Hard to tell what was breathing and what wasn't here. Definitely uncomfortable, oppressive, frightening!

 _ **"You gotta focus! Try again, please. For Papa."**_ Aldi begged, glancing nervously at the angry environment.

Cubbi sighed, tried to shut out what was going on around him, and focus inward. Yeah. For Sir Plucki.

It felt like time had stopped, for just a few moments, and everything seemed calm.

 ** _"Okay,"_** coached Aldi. _**"Much better. You feel it, right?"**_

Cubbi managed an ephemeral smile, because he couldn't really see himself as having a real body in this crazy emotion-triggered place. Letting his focus go outside of himself a bit, he was surprised to find blue smearing away all the cold black. A really pretty shade of blue. Like... sky blue. He sighed a relaxed sigh, hoping he could get this down before it was too late...

The blue was muffled over by a creeping gray and red smear, which increased in taking over the gentle blue the more Cubbi wished it would stop. "No, no, no! Darn it!"

_**"You had it, Cubbi. Try again. For Papa... for Sir Plucki."** _

"Alright, alright." It was hard, not feeling the futility, the frustration, but he had to do it. Aldi was tryin' to help him an' he was a spirit and probably knew a ton more about this weird place like how he said it was an emotion prison so he knew he better listen. Because, Gum as his witness, he was NOT gonna let that evil Emi hurt Plucki.


	46. Chapter 46

Taking another breath, or what counted as one, Cubbi tried again. Tried to focus, tried to calm. It wasn’t clearing the mind, at least that’s what Aldi had said. He said he needed to stay calm to keep the entire environment from going nutso and then they could work on the actual “feeling” part. Cubbi found, once again, that he wished he had been able to learn all this when he was younger. Couldn’t really blame his clan though. After all, there were so few of them how were they supposed to teach him somethin’ like ‘talking’ to lost spirits and stuff like that when they hadda worry about surviving every day?  
  
 _ **“Focus.”** _ Came Aldi’s voice again. **_“You’re driftin’.”_**  
  
Focus…right. Keeping his thoughts straight was hard but imagining that Emi might be taking this very moment to ready an attack against Plucki was enough to push his attention. Taking another breath, the environment calmed again, settling to a simple light blue shade without wind or swirling. Okay, so there was that. Not letting his mind move from that moment, he eyed the fleeting spirit of Aldi who never was very far from him. Still a little unnerving to have the dead son of his mentor coaching him but..  
  
 _No! Focus!_  
  
The blue sky swirled some but did not change.  
  
“Okay, Aldi.” He said softly, trying to keep his emotions and thoughts steady, “Now what?”  
  
Aldi frowned, _**“Well, do you feel what this feels like?”**_  
  
“Huh?”  
  
 ** _“In your center…do you feel that emotion, what it feels like?”_**  
  
Cubbi looked hopelessly lost and the muggy environment shifting just served to frustrate him, accumulating into a low groan from him and a deep sigh from Aldi. _**“Sorry, Cubbi. Papa is so much better at explaining this than I am. He was the one that showed me.”**_  
  
Blinking a little, Cubbi eyed his tutor, “So do the same thing.”  
  
Now it was Aldi’s turn to look confused. _**“Eh?”**_  
  
Cubbi felt the environment suddenly warm as he felt a spike of enthusiasm. “Never was a good learner, Aldi.” He paused, “I guess you were?”  
  
 ** _“Loved school, loved to read.”_** He replied simply, waiting to see where Cubbi was going with this.  
  
Oddly enough, this pleased Cubbi. It reinforced, even if it was just subconsciously, that he was loved by Plucki for being Cubbi and not for being like Aldi. Heck, it seemed like they were quite different actually. Wonder how Plucki felt about that sometimes…okay, okay, focus! They were running out of time and if something happened to Plucki…no! It would NOT happen!  
  
“So…see, I don’t learn easy,” Cubbi explained a little, trying to keep his emotions in check, “I have to SEE it. So…you say this place responds to a spirit order and feelin’. So SHOW me.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Dunwynian Countryside_**  
  
Clever.  
  
Emi slipped out from behind the tree, watching the carriage drive away into the horizon. She probably could have utilized invisibility but it was needless to waste energy on a complex spell when simple camouflage would suffice. Almost the majority of espionage, of stealth, was simplicity. She had regained her strength, her youth, but it took time to recover from such a swift transformation. Worth it, however, in her opinion. Those children were simple enough to conquer, to trick. Such foolish things, children. She had never understood the intrigue of children. They only got in the way but in this case, their youth proved to be invaluable. No matter that it had taken several of them. Draining them dry until the bodies decayed into dust had given her far more energy from each one than a longer youth spell would have. More draining but just look at the result.

Back in her prime! 18 years of age! Her muscles were tense, firm, strong. Her eyes sharp, her reflexes fast. She would need time to recover but it had been worth the sacrifice. With such vitality now hers again, she had time. She could make time. She could create time. If there was one thing she had learned to utilize well, it was time, patience and planning.   
  
She would need help for her coming attacks but she needed something close, something accessible to her target. Something that was hard to fight but not hard to control. She couldn’t afford to waste energy on commanding a lot of spells at once. She was much more dangerous with concentrated attacks. If you could limit your power to simple spells, they became all the more potent and oh, how she was going to make them potent! She was going to make her presence known in such a way that…  
  
 _Not yet._ She coached herself, stilling her emotions and silencing that faint protest in the back of her mind. Still the eagerness that wound its way about her spirit. _Time. Settle your position. Wait. Then attack._  
  
500 years. 503 years to be precise. She could wait a little longer. Delaying those two gummi messengers would be simple enough. Weather worked wonders against even gummi travel devices, never mind the primitive ways of human transport. A little extra rain, some wind, a little bit of fog…she didn’t even have to speak a verbal spell to get the results she wanted. Clouds rolled in, the wind began to pick up. It was slow enough to not be seen as unusual but within an hour, the rain would come down in sheets and the fog would eliminate any hope of road travel. It would give her the time she needed to get into that city, into Gummadoon, into the palace. Set up her game plan…ready her pieces. To create such a spell was pure child’s play, yet she knew so many that would take the more complex approach. Simpler always served her better.   
  
As for how to slip in, as she knew well enough they would be on guard, the simple glance she had received of those two leaving gummies was all she needed and they knew next to nothing of what was happening. Those informed would take even greater precautions! They obviously heralded from Gummadoon, the knight’s uniform gave that away. Gummies were not fools and Lady Bane was one so with that combination, it was logical that they would take precautions. Wards, guards and probably other levels of security; she was well informed but one did not keep a city protected by letting out all the secrets.  
  
The wards were the biggest dilemma. She needed secrecy. Yet, despite their complexity, there WERE ways to fool a ward. It was hard, difficult and would require the perfect timing and planning but it was doable. Most times, when doors were warded, they were cast specifically to allow one, perhaps two people in at a time. There was a reason for that; it allowed space for someone to be thrown out or to collapse if they were rejected. Therein also laid a weakness for her to exploit. If she were to enter with multiple gummies beside her, at least five or more, then it would be unable to detect her, what with so many gummi bodies rushing through. Given the large doorways of Gummadoon (she remembered the trial room well enough), this was a perfectly reasonable strategy. All that remained was to find a way to get several gummies surrounding her without arousing suspicion.   
  
She had the perfect means to get to that point as well.  
  
Focusing on changing form took a lot of energy but it was a necessary expenditure right now. Changing genders when you took on new forms took even more energy but for that reason, disguises that were different genders than the suspect were not put under quite as much scrutiny. Given that she needed time and opportunity, it would be worth the energy required. She would have time to infiltrate, to prepare, to attack. It was all a matter of patience, of timing, of utilizing her resources.  
  
The pain as her body stretched, changed, grew and shrank was immense but she relished it. Having felt nothing for so long... This? This was nothing. The agony she welcomed, for it meant an even more delicious feeling to come: revenge. She could have numbed the pain but that took far too much energy and transformations, while exceptionally painful without the dulling magic, were also swift. Just because she was coaching her patience did not mean she had all the time in the world. Time, and timing. A fine art she had honed over the centuries.  
  
As the draining magic faded away and blessed relief from agony followed she slid to her knees in the dirt. Her transformed body was weakened but she refused to give in and collapse. She summoned the strength to stand and that is when she looked down at herself: green fur, black hair, larger shoulders, and firm biceps. To any who were passing by, it would look to be a nude form of Sir Timothi of Gummadoon, even down to his voice. That had been the most important factor. It was easy to copy an appearance but to copy a vocal tone took more energy. She preferred to spend her power on that than on strength or clothes. Contrary to popular belief, clothing did NOT just appear with transformations. It took energy as well and that was not something she found to be important to waste it on. Especially since, to get the reaction from the Gummadoon guards she needed, she was going to have to put this body through quite some trauma. No point in summoning clothing she would be ruining. Wasteful.  
  
Taking a step forward, she waited until the area around her was empty of passerbys, of any lingering ears, before starting the hardest part. She needed to damage this body but it was a body built to be strong and durable. Not just a mature male gummi but a mature male gummi fully trained for war. However, she needed injury, she needed gashes, she needed broken bones on this body to create enough pity and compassion to override reason. She had seen it, so many times before and those weak hearts would fall for it again. Always did.  
  
She readied herself for the pain, focusing to numb her mind to the body slightly. It was a popular technique used by those in the military to survive torture and it would serve her here until her task was done.  
  
The rocks at the base of the nearby tree would snap the tibia easily enough.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
“Is that it?” Sir Kai folded his arms, not stepping out of arms’ length from the possessed young Lucki. He didn’t like this and neither did any of the others. The troggles had hardly been trouble. Fast creatures but not very intelligent. Sleep sand condensed into small handheld capsules that exploded on impact had swiftly rendered them unconscious. Sleep sand from the horns to create the mist worked well for large amounts of creatures or for slow adversaries and the troggles had been neither of those. Condensed sleep sand was harder to create, they had limited amounts of it but in this case, it was necessary to use. They had no time to be messing around with these ridiculous troggles. They would awake with no permanent damage, as was the case with all their sleep sand and it would last for several hours, more than enough for them to get in and get out.   
  
Oh, he had not missed the sneer, the knowledge pass over Lucki’s eyes, observing, watching. None of them had missed it. Lady Bane was learning far too much. It was not to be helped however. They needed to return to Gummadoon and if Lady Bane was going to be stubborn about it, they would indulge her. Then, maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to free this poor boy from her clutches. THEN, they would make certain she would not intervene with their lives anymore!  
  
Lady Bane, sitting within Lucki’s mind was salivating at the sight of her book, so close. Stepping up and onto the boy’s tiptoes (Gummies were so ridiculously short) she fought to keep her thoughts secret. Oh, she had no doubt the gummies knew she would use this against them but she didn’t need them to know how or when. It would be so easy once they became distracted, occupied. For the moment, she replied, “Yes,” short and simple to the knight by her side. No need to elaborate. She doubted they would understand some of the magical properties in any event.  
  
 _You’d be surprised,_ the boy sharing the body insisted. _We understand and know a lot more than you._  
  
 _Be silent,_ she hissed, _I don’t have time to argue with you right now._  
  
 _Oh?_ His tone was accusatory. _I’d say you have nothing but time. Why should my talking bug you now? You’ve gotten pretty used to it._  
  
She caught the boy’s suspicion, his thoughts racing. He was smart, too smart. As much as she tried to quiet her thoughts, the boy’s ability to peer into them was growing by the hour! As was his ability to take back portions of his body. She still had yet to realize what had changed…what WAS changing. All the more reason that she needed to move quickly. Despite being in the situation where they had a common enemy, the fact remained…she needed to regain her advantage. Perhaps…perhaps now was a good time? When there was still the chance…when there was not outright magical warfare being thrown about…  
  
She held the ability to do so right in her hands. As she turned, forced those small legs to walk down the hall, she stroked the book’s cover. Oh, it would be so easy…she knew exactly what page it was on. It would take less than a minute to render these fools no longer a threat. So easy to devise a way to slip back to Gummadoon, to take the chance to gain what power she needed and be gone again. Time to prepare her own defenses and render this walking meat sack a memory to regain her own beautiful form.   
  
Except she couldn’t, she was stuck. Somehow…someway, she was stuck. As much as she loathed it, it was simple fact. The gathering threat did not sit well with her and being without her own flesh made it even worse.  
  
Especially if those journals…she didn’t know what to make of them but she didn’t like it. If she, no, if these **fools!** kept up this idiocy, not only was her grasp for power going to be lost but she didn’t even want to imagine what miseries Emi had in store for her. For anyone. No, she had to act! She had to at least take advantage where she could.  
  
Her fingers began to slip into the book’s familiar pages.  
  
 ** _No!_** Lucki’s voice screeched loudly. **_No betrayal!_**  
  
 _Be quiet!_ Lady Bane screeched _I have no time for alliances. Your people are doing nothing but slowing us down. I don’t need them to figure out these journals, I don’t need them for anything. I will not allow myself to be killed because of your people’s incompetence. _I_ will not be conquered by your corrupt ancestress! It’s time you remembered who is in charge here, brat!_  
  
 _You aren’t!_ Lucki declared sharply _And you said you were going to help us,_ he accused, _you said yourself that you aren’t enough to handle her on your own! You can’t…and I won’t let you hurt them!_   
  
His tiny voice seemed so powerful with that simple statement, so much older. It was an amazing thing. He was a baby bear, nothing more and yet his words carried tremendous weight.   
  
Lady Bane’s will paused a moment, she pushed back at the doubt. The cub spoke the truth, much as she hated it. She was grasping at a foolish mist dream. She needed more power than she currently had and as much as she would like to dream, she did not have the ability, currently, to find and master all the gummies’ secrets in the time they had remaining. Not right now. Not with an annoying gummi child monitoring her every move. She needed to get back some control. At least enough that she could have some say over what occurred. Hmm, if not conquering these gummies with a spell then maybe a message of sorts? A reminder of the kind of power she held without damaging her current transport…  
  
 _You’re being an idiot!_ Lucki’s annoying voice entered her consciousness again _You’re just telling lies to yourself. You’re going to get yourself killed by that stupid arrogance. But you’re NOT killing my family in the process. You said you were gonna help us and you ARE! I’ll _MAKE_ you!_  
  
What happened next happened so fast that none really knew how to react. Lucki, with a proficiency that made Lady Bane gawk, lunched at Sir Kai and snagged a sleep sand pellet from his belt, crushed it in his hands and inhaled it deeply. Within seconds, his vision swirled and the world went dark, all the while Lady Bane cursed as her book left the now limp fingers and the yellow furred counselor lost no time in claiming ownership of it. _Damn brat…._ was all she could manage before consciousness left the body, thus leaving her powerless as well.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon_**  
  
The return of the group from Gummi Glen was met by Sir Blastus about mid-way up the stairs. Before any of them could say a word, Corvi was plowing past them and throwing himself into Blastus’ arms. He did not cry, no, he had done his share of that already, but he needed that strong presence, that comfort. Sir Blastus responded in kind, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy, saying, softly in French, “Calmes-tu,” he intoned, stroking the boy’s sweaty blond hair, “C’est bien, mon petit enfant. C’est bien.” Corvi nodded against his chest but did not release him nor elaborate. Blastus shifted his eyes from his squire to his two brothers, inquiring.  
  
“They’re alive.” Sunni finally spoke out as no one else seemed willing to. They didn’t have time for this. Yes, it was horrible but they needed to move on, they needed to do what they needed to do! “But they’re trapped…Cubbi and Tavi.”  
  
Closing his eyes at the horrible pain that cut his heart at that thought, “Mon dieu…and Emi…?”  
  
Gruffi sighed and crossed his arms, “She’s loose. Gum knows where but she’s loose. And she’s trapped Cubbi and Tavi where she was’posed to be.”  
  
Plucki raised a hand for quiet, which stopped Zummi in mid-sentence, “Let’s not discuss it here. Too many loose ears running about. Blastus, let’s regroup in one of the council chambers and we will catch you up.”  
  
Gumlittle fell in step by his brothers as Blastus shifted Corvi to walk beside him. They were discussing something in French, too fast for him to catch but it must have been about Corvi’s father because Blastus’ teeth clenched and he cursed Emi in his weird Latin-French mixture that he fell into when he was angry. Then, just as quickly, he was back to his jovial, calm self which was what Corvi needed right now. As they walked, Ramsei leaned in close to Plucki and Gumlittle, “Should we still be including Corvi in this? Has not the boy endured enough already?”  
  
Plucki was in agreement with that but he also agreed with Gumlittle when he said, “Are you going to be the one to tell him to leave Blastus when he just found out about his father’s spirit being trapped?”   
  
Ramsei gave a deep sigh and shook his head, no, no, they could not do that. That would be needlessly cruel. The boy needed Blastus right now and unfortunately, they needed him as well. So, Corvi was just going to have to be roped into it. Truth be told, he was going to be needed anyway; with Lady Cressi gone as they had just learned, that meant the sole gummi in all Gummadoon who could speak fluent Old Gummi was young Corvi. Likewise, the magical book only responded to children and seemed to have accepted Toni in Cubbi’s absence. As they walked, he saw Martinni dart by, pulling that large blue Glen behind him who only gave his clan a few looks as he was yanked past. He could faintly hear Flynn’s voice inquiring in one of the rooms. A deep sigh escaped his throat again. It seemed that the boys had become permanently entangled in this mess, regardless of how much they wished them not to be. As much as they would love to let Blastus take Corvi off to a private room to cry, to comfort him, to ease his heart, they were low on time. They had no such luxuries right now.   
  
The clouds rumbled, announcing the coming rain.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Dunwyn Countryside_**  
  
“Do you know when it will pass?” Sarrani struggled to keep her voice calm.  
  
The driver of the carriage shrugged, sitting down beside the parked vehicle. “Apologies, m’lady.” He smiled up, trying to calm her nerves. It was an odd thing, to suddenly be transporting creatures that were thought to be imaginary but what he had found was that every gummi he had encountered had been kind as could be. Nervous and anxious at first, but kind. “The fog is far too thick right now. The rain is not helping. I’m afraid we may wind up in Drekmore if we tried to continue.”  
  
Sarrani nodded, “I’m sorry, good Sir. I trust your judgment, I am just anxious to get back and check on our families.”  
  
“Have you a large family at home, m’lady?” he inquired as Sir Timothi pulled his fiancée close in a hug. “Aside from your fiancé?”  
  
Sarrani nodded, “Not large but a family nonetheless, my older sister, Sarrika.”  
  
The gentleman, he had said his name was Jackson, nodded, “No parents, m’lady?”  
  
“They’ve since left this world,” she said simply, leaning into her love. “As have Tim’s.”  
  
Nodding, Jackson took a puff of his pipe; he offered it to Tim who quickly shook his head no and tried not to cough and gag at the smell. No point in being rude but he did not see why humans poisoned themselves so. Gummies did not indulge in such things. Still, the man was pleasant enough so the two of them scooted back a little to allow the smoke to dissipate but still maintain the conversation. “As have mine, dear knight, dear lady.”   
  
The man coughed but resumed his smoking, “And my little Jaxon and Mary. Lost the two of them three years ago to the plague.” He smiled, sadly, to himself, “Too young to be taken.”  
  
“We share your grief for your loss,” Timothi replied softly, “No child should be taken so young.”  
  
Jackson nodded, took another puff, saying, “What plagues your families at this time?”  
  
Sarrani frowned but replied, “Truthfully, we aren’t sure. There is some kind of magical attack happening. We’re hoping our families can shed more light on it.”  
  
Jackson nodded, his short black hair bobbing with the movement, “I wish you luck with that. Magic has been used far too often for nefarious purposes. Oh, the stories we used to hear as children of sorceresses, of wizards. You have no such tales?”  
  
“Not dark ones,” Timothi clarified. “Our stories always told of wizards and sorceresses doing good, of striving to educate, to protect, to heal.”  
  
“I ‘pose that’s a big different between our races.” Jackson admitted with a dry laugh, “We humans focus far too much on the dark and wicked. Grew up hearing all kinds of tales—about Zorlock, about Bane, about Celina, about Medea.” He shook his head, “Medea was the worst of those stories…no morals in her at all.”  
  
“The name sounds slightly familiar,” Timothi admitted, “Like maybe I heard it a long time ago in passing.” He frowned, “Can’t recall anything beyond that though.”  
  
“Consider yourself lucky,” Jackson replied, “We tol’ her stories for years. No one knows when they started to be told, except they were talking about her in Rome when Saint Peter began the church.” He shook his head, “Supposedly, she was already old then but it’s all rumors and hearsay. No one can even recall what she truly did and what people SAY she did. ‘Cept seems like death avoided her for some reason.” He chuckled, sadly, “Truthfully, I was never a fan of those stories, tried to block them out. Heard tales of Celina too, she was more recent. Wantin’ magic and power, trying to get it anywhere she could.”  
  
Sarrani nodded, “I recall that name a little better. I believe she had a few talks with some of our old wizards before they determined she was too dangerous to continue to work with.” She frowned, thinking “But I must admit, history was never my strong point.”  
  
Timothi cut in “No, I remember the name too. They never said much about her though, just that alliances with her fell through and that contact ceased. Never knew what happened to her.”  
  
“Probably for the best,” Jackson remarked, taking a final whiff of his pipe before putting it out, “Some dark things I prefer to forget about.”  
  
“Maybe,” Timothi remarked “But that doesn’t mean we should.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Cubbi’s Prison_**  
  
“Is that them?”  
  
Aldi nodded to the bright lights that had become visible. It had taken some time, some trial but Cubbi had finally felt the spiritual link, the spiritual connection that truly let you see in this place. He;d been right. Once Aldi had settled and started to demonstrate, talking about what he was doing as he did it, encouraging Cubbi to feel and listen, the cub had been able to mimic it. So, they were making progress.  
  
Cubbi willed himself upward, towards the closest of the lights. It was bright, almost like looking into the sun but as he drew closer, it didn’t burn his eyes. He wasn’t even wincing. As he willed, waited, the white light died away and he found himself staring into Gummadoon! He was at the library! Just inside it! Gum, was this a way out?!  
  
His fingers pressed against the brightness and stopped cold. Like hitting a stone wall. The whiteness gave, just some, like he was pushing on a tapestry but it refused him entry. No pain or anything, just an inability to pass through. He was right here, he could see the halls! See those rushing by, see those familiar corridors and yet he couldn’t get to them!  
  
“Aldi!” he called, desperate and the room began to swirl into darkness. “Aldi, why can’t I get out?!"  
  
A moment later, Aldi’s presence was at his side, _**“it’s more complex than that. It’s run on emotions too. So…there’s some kind of emotional key.”**_  
  
Frustration produced itself in the form of fire and hot air, “An emotional key? Like what?”  
  
Frowning, Aldi replied, ** _“I’m not sure.”_ ** He admitted, though he certainly felt like he had an idea. He did not want to give false hope though. As for Cubbi, his entire spirit seemed to give a sigh of misery and the landscape began to pour rain in response.  
  
"Great," the pink cub mused aloud, "We're finally here, literally right here and we can't get through. _I_ can’t get through.” Tears welled up “Not fair.” He choked out, “Not…fair.”  
  
He felt so heavy, like he weighed a thousand pounds. He felt lost, angry and not just at the situation but at himself. Granted, that he had possessed the best of intentions when he had gone with Tavi, he had been trying to help her and she had only been thinking of her brother but the fact remained that they...had gotten themselves into this mess. It was because of their impatience, their refusal to get the others before taking off, that they were here.   
  
Oh and releasing the worst enemy against gummies...ever.  
  
How could he ever face Sir Plucki after this? He had unleashed Hell on his race. She was probably plotting as they lingered here. He had no means to tell how long they had been here but it must have been some amount of time. Daring a glance around, he saw his own emotions were taking command again. Not in the good way though, Cubbi’s current state just brought up old memories of failure. Times when he had not been there to help Cavin, times when his adventures had caused more harm than good, when he had let Zorlock take command, when he had nearly killed Tavi and attacked Plucki.  
  
He had finally managed to focus, to not let the blasted place play memory after memory, but now…so close and yet so far, he gave in the desperation again and the memory flowed, in full color and imagery. The cries and shouts and screams of times when he had not been strong enough, when he had been foolish, when he’d been selfish. Times when he had proved he was not worthy to wear Gummadoon’s uniform. Folding in on himself, he lost himself in tears. He usually didn't give into a desire to cry but what could he do here? They had set out to save Lucki and failed. Not only had they failed but they had released Emi from her prison. Now, they had come so close to an exit only for that to be denied as well. Cubbi knew that knights didn't give up but he felt so alone, so depressed, so angry, so full of so many not-feel-good emotions that he wanted to burst.  
  
 ** _"I bet that's why you can't get out you know."_**  
  
Lifting his head, his vision clouded with tears and the atmosphere full of rain, the cub blinked, staring at the pink cub that hovered in front of him.   
  
"What're you talkin' about?" Cubbi demanded, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He didn’t like how this sounded.   
  
Aldi smiled a little, shaking his head **_"Just what I said. All these."_ ** he gestured around him to the thundering storm reminiscent of Cubbi’s turbulent emotional state. ** _"Remember what you learned 'bout the prison? They made sure it wouldn’t release her until it was safe. It wouldn't let her out because she had all kinds of bad thoughts towards others—“_**  
  
"I'm not thinkin' like she did!" Cubbi snapped, his eyes flashing, "I don't think like that!" He was full of anger suddenly and his eyes fired that emotion directly at Aldi.  
  
Unfazed, Aldi drifted closer, put his hands on Cubbi’s shoulders, well, as much as a spirit could. In this emotional and spiritual plane, it was more like having a faint mist blowing in your face, forcing you to pay attention to it. **_"No but you're thinking bad 'bout yourself! That's just as bad!"_ ** Aldi scowled, **_“Papa used to scold me for it just as much as if I’d broken any other rule.”_**  
  
"You blame me?" Cubbi countered, "How can I not think that way? After what I did?" He grasped his ears tightly.  
  
 _ **"You didn't come here to release Emi"**_ Aldi reminded him, **_"You came here to help Tavi save her brother. Emi just took that emotion and ran with it!"_**  
  
Shaking his head, Cubbi turned away, "You say that like it erases what happened. Emi's still loose." He refused to turn back and look at Aldi, “Still my fault…”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon_**  
  
“So, that’s our plan?”  
  
Plucki nodded to Gruffi’s inquiry. “We are as fortified as we can be for the moment. Our next order of business is freeing Cubbi and Tavi. From what we know, the exits are areas of great memory and importance.”  
  
Gumlittle gave a grim nod, “There could be quite a few of those about.” He admitted, “Our city is quite old.” He was trying to stay as focused on the task at hand as he could. Blastus had informed them of the splitting of the other groups, including Lucki going with a team to Lady Bane’s palace. As breakable as he was, as vulnerable as he was…  
  
Gumlittle wanted to just rush out after them and pull him into his arms but that would not solve anything. Likewise, Toni was fortified in the main council chamber, guarding that sacred book. As much as he understood why a cub was needed to do so, the fact that it was such a dangerous position did not escape him. Martinni was rushing about, delivering messages from knight to knight. Such brave lads, all his trainees yet the inability to keep them from this horror cut at his heart. No point in lamenting over it though. No lives saved that way. Best thing to be done was to focus on freeing Cubbi and Tavi and preparing as best they could for an assault. If they were lucky, perhaps the rescued children may have gained some information. If not, then at least they knew they were safe. The sooner they retrieved them from that dark, horrific, soul-sucking atmosphere, the better.   
  
Zummi eyed the knights, “So, we should separate and each oeek out son…er, each seek out one.” He advised, “While we are not residents of Gummadoon, I could still sense places of strong magic.” He eyed the knights “And I must contribute somehow.”  
  
“Just tell us what are the most likely areas,” Sunni cut in, standing up “You must have SOME idea!” She was ready to go, ready to act. Something had to be done and sitting here wasn’t accomplishing anything.  
  
The knights nodded and Ramsei spoke out, “Yes, we could narrow it down to the top most likely areas. However, I don’t like the idea of our guests being about without some back up, some protection.” He gave Sunni a small smile, a rare one, “As strong as you’ve shown yourself to be, Sunni Gummi, we are dealing with a threat beyond what you’ve experienced.”  
  
“Sunni’ll stick with me,” Gruffi cut in, folding his arms, “Ain’t nothin’ gettin’ past me to get to her.” It was rare he made such a declaration as he didn’t think of himself as a fighter but he meant it. Cubbi had already been lost, he wasn’t losing another cub too.   
  
Tummi, as soon as they had pried him from Martinni, they’d sent to help Lady Ivori with the cubs. Tummi, as always, did as he was told. Seemed a bit happy about it actually. He always did have a soft spot for cubs. One reason Cubbi could wrap him around his finger if he wanted to. The cubs, naturally, were deep in the keep of Gummadoon. That meant Tummi would be too and that eased Gruffi’s heart considerably.   
  
“Be that as it may,” Plucki replied “I’d feel better if Ramsei went with you as well. He knows the city well and if our first target doesn’t seem to be the answer, Ramsei has enough knowledge of the city to seek out a second.” Plucki frowned, “In the marketplace, there’s the foundation stone, where the first stone of the city was laid, that may be a good starting point. It’s fairly large and many fountains about it, commemorating starts and beginnings.”  
  
That seemed to pacify Gruffi who took Sunni by the hand as the blue knight came to stand by their side.  
  
“Blastus,” Plucki turned to his younger brother, sitting silently with Corvi laying against his side. “You and Zummi should seek out the possibilities in the old council chambers, the original ones at the base. There are several and memories of triumph will linger there.” The old council chambers had been converted into storage rooms and greenhouses when the need for larger space because evident but the old emblems remained. “Corvi may be able to provide some translation if there are any clues remaining that may be useful.”  
  
Nodding firmly, Corvi stood with his mentor as the old gummi wizard rushed to their side.  
Gumlittle eyed his brother, “I’ll take over the fortifications,” he informed his Captain, “Blastus has done most of the work but it won’t hurt to add a second pair of eyes to catch any weak points.”   
  
Plucki nodded, “Agreed. I’ll seek out any possible clues in the libraries.” He paused, trying to keep his thoughts focused. Becoming emotional and panicked would do little good, even if all he wanted to do was scream at the unfairness of this all. Who knew what Cubbi was enduring in that prison? Or Tavi? If the prison chambers they had visited had been any indication…he shuddered to think of it. Cubbi had such a bright, beautiful spirit. Spending time in a place like that…would it crumble it? Smother it? Strangle it? Imagining that poor cub, spirit broken…it turned Plucki’s stomach and his arms ached, longing to hold the cub in his arms to make sure he was safe, he was well.  
Like they often ached for Aldi…it was the same longing, different child but same intensity. Plucki would not rest until he knew Cubbi was safe. He would not. Could not.  
  
“Dismissed.”

* * *

  
  
 _Forest Outside Gummadoon’s Gates_  
  
Emi Gummi took a final look at herself. The shape shifting spell had worked wonders and her handiwork had done the rest. She had put the body through hell—broken a leg and an arm, torn the fur and skin to shreds in places so that he was coated in blood and even delivered a black eye. All and all, it was a believable state yet not one that would demand panic that he was going to perish. It was an excellent damaged-but-alive state. Anyone who stumbled across him would think him to be a victim of some vicious attack and if there was one thing predictable about all gummies, it was their compassion.  
  
Taking a breath to ready her act, she stumbled from the forest edge, towards the gates ahead. She wished she knew the knights by name on the wall as it would be more convincing but there turned out to be no need. She had barely gotten out into the light and breathed a “hel-“ before shouting and cries erupted and gummies became clambering down the city barricades, rushing at her. “Tim! Tim!” they cried and she hid her smile. Oh, yes, as predictable as always with that compassion.  
  
“Tim!” the first knight that reached her façade, a light blue knight, swiftly knelt down and put his arm around the left shoulder, “Tim, what happened?!”  
  
“…attacked.” ‘He’ wheezed out, “Sarrani…did you…see…Sarrani?”  
  
Another knight, yellow in shade rushed to take the other side, “Sarrani? We’ve not seen her…”  
  
“She…must be here!” Emi struggled, slightly letting the body’s injuries inflict pain to limit the movement, even as she turned the eyes as if she were going to rush back for the wood, “She…has…to be…”  
  
“Relax, Timothi,” the blue knight stated, “We’ll find her. I’ll lead a search party myself but we have to get you looked at first! Gum, how are you even still walking?”  
  
“…have to.” She gasped out as they passed through the entranceway as one unit. A faint burning cut into her but it did not reject her, not with so many other gummies (as four other knights met them at the entryway) taking its attention. They made their way over the threshold and made for the palace.  
  
She was in.


	47. Chapter 47

_**Cubbi’s Prison**  
  
_ Aldi had stopped talking because Cubbi had stopped talking. What was the point of it? He had found an exit and he was blocked. He could see gummies rushing by. Could SEE them. That had been bad enough but then…  
  
Plucki. He’d seen Plucki rush by. He’d screamed, yelled, pounded his fists on the barrier until his voice should have given out. The atmosphere about him had turned so cold, rainy, windy. As he pleaded, begged Plucki to hear him, to see him, to know he was there. To help him! The knight had heard nothing. When his form, that strong commanding form vanished from Cubbi’s view, his spirits, what little that remained, had sank.   
  
It was dark and yet not dark. Well, it was dark like a place looked when you turned out the light but every so often shapes would take form and become bright as day. There wasn't a floor per say and yet he could walk. Sometimes. At other times, he was falling, floating, flying. Then just as suddenly, he would stop, as if a force pulled him to a halt, a force that he could not see. He had given up fighting it. Just let it whip him about. Made no difference.   
  
It seemed like forms come and went like the morning mist here. Dissolving and then reforming, dissolving and reforming. As far as Cubbi could tell, there was no rhyme or reason to it! He would see darkness then suddenly flashes of a library, or of a bedroom or some such. It wasn’t like with his emotions creating storm or calm. This was different. It hadn’t started until he’d been practicing that spirit thing with Aldi. Had that triggered something?  
  
He did know that he felt cold. Not physically cold but a different kind of cold. The kind of cold that was internal. This place felt...lonely. Isolated. He knew that a prison was meant to teach but this prison didn't seem like it was doing much healing, which he knew was supposed to be the purpose. If anything, it carried the weight of loss, of pain. Did that just mean that Emi hadn't been trying to heal? It was a prison that was built on emotion, he had gotten that much from the limited information they had found and the crazy weather he’d experienced thus far. So, did that mean she had simply been focused on pain, on loss, on her victories? Had she not been LETTING the place heal her?  
  
Cubbi frowned. Tavi and the magicians had said that emotion was the lifeblood of gummi magic. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the magic. They had been so scared, so desperate when they sealed her in here. Had that created an effect? Emotion certain seemed to dictate things here. When they had first been cast in here, Cubbi remembered distinctly feeling cold, alone, surrounded by spirits, feeling like he was going to suffocate under the weight of the emotion.   
  
And the images...  
  
He preferred to forget the images that had first popped up, surrounded him. When he had remembered himself enough to calm...the silent formless storms had been better. When Aldi had taught him about centering the emotion, about feeling with his spirit, that had calmed the atmosphere. It was only when that utter desperation hit him again that this dreary darkness had taken over.   
  
Emotion had everything to do with this place. He’d seen that when he was frightened or angry, the place reacted. However, there had to be more to it than that. They’d made this place to heal Emi, right? So…did that mean he could see different images? Images that weren’t those scary horrible ones he’d first seen? Could he focus on something positive, something that might help the soul? As Tummi was fond of reminding them, the Great Gummies had never done anything small and if this prison had been designed to not only contain but heal then there had to be more to it. Had to be.  
  
To test his theory, he closed his eyes, focused on old memories. Happy memories. Memories of triumph. When he first met Cavin. The last Festival of the First Snow. His last birthday. Meeting Plucki for the first time. Plucki settling down with him at night, reading to him. Meeting the other squires, sharing a cake as they celebrated Toni's birthday a few months ago. So safe, so happy, so warm. Family. A sense of belonging, of celebration…  
  
Cubbi opened his eyes and about choked.  
  
The atmosphere around him was completely altered! He was standing in the main meeting hall of the Glen but years ago! He saw what had to be Tummi! But he was younger! Maybe...Flynn's age or so. Tiny, though still with a bit of a belly, standing on his tiptoes around a beautiful orange colored gummi woman, with long flowing yellow hair. A tall bulky male gummi stood next to her, bright yellow in color with darker golden hair and a small beard, smirking proudly. Cubbi took a step forward, realizing he could move but that the scene continued both around and through him. A giddy gummi lady walked right though him and he realized, after a moment, that it was Grammi! Younger but it was her! Looking around, he saw a purple gummi that had to be a younger Zummi and a gruff brown bear that managed a smile when the orange seated gummi lady punched his arm. Yep, that was Gruffi. And a handful of other gummies that he didn't recognize.  
  
Creeping closer, he peered at the orange gummi lady and saw a bundled yellow cub in her lap. The baby cub opened her eyes and Cubbi instantly recognized Sunni's eyes! This was Sunni's birth! He focused on happy memories and the prison showed him this.!  
  
And not just showed. He could HEAR them! All of their voices! Sunni's mother's voice was eerily like hers if a bit more higher pitched! Her father had a deep baritone, reminded him of Sir Gumlittle's tone. Tummi had a little kid voice, sounded weird to not hear Tummi's usual deep tone! This treble sounded like his almost! Plus, there was music being played in the background, on all kinds of instruments. No one played any instruments when he was a kid. Wow...they used to have some talented gummies.  
  
He could SMELL the room, full of fruits and sweet meats and gummiberry cake. The wonderful feeling of family, of belonging, it absolutely smothered him.  
  
Much as he wanted to stay, to relish this, he had to try again. He needed to see if he could direct the memories a little bit. He closed his eyes again as the images about him dissipated into mist of all colors and the sounds and smells vanished as with the dawn. He focused his memory, his thoughts solely on one person, on himself. It felt selfish a bit but he needed to see what else he could uncover. They were stuck here, for the moment, he could at least utilize it! So he focused on himself, on ...well, he found he was focusing on the memories he did not have access to. Gruffi always said that the Glen was "home to the gummies" and Grammi always said "home remembers."   
  
Opening his eyes, Cubbi felt tears prickle in them.   
  
In front of him was that dark violet colored gummi woman he saw in his dreams sometimes, pacing, with a wrapped pinked bundle in her arms. A dark blue colored gummi followed her, laughing like some kind of maniac. So, this was his mother and father, eh? He could see his build in his father, least a little bit, and his father seemed to have his energy but the rest of it. He saw it in his mother ten-fold. Her voice was a little coarse, not as feminine sounding as he had imagined.   
  
He supposed he could have stood there for hours, just watching, observing. Memorizing how they looked, how they sounded. However, this was not where he was meant to be. He was still trapped and he needed to find a way out but beyond that, he still needed answers on Emi. They still needed to know why this incredible prison, with access to all kinds of memories had not healed her heart...  
  
Cubbi frowned and the image around him disintegrated to dust.  So, he could seek out memories based on his own emotions. So, did that mean he could seek out something about Emi? She lived here too! He didn't know how old she was but he knew she was old. He had been able to see Sunni's birth and he hadn't been born yet then. So, could he go even further back? Even if he didn't know anyone from when she was living here?  
  
Cubbi sighed, looked around the eternal blackness about him. He could not just linger here. Emi was free. Their loved ones were in danger. He had to get out of here. He had to warn them but beyond that, he needed to know what to do! The prison had not changed her in the slightest so what was the next step? They couldn’t kill her. Despite how dangerous she was, the thought of killing her made Cubbi sick. He really didn’t know why but something...something deep in his gut, told him that something else was afoot.  
  
Well, his gut instinct about coming here without adult aid had proved to be spot on so why not investigate this thought as well?  
  
Closing his eyes a moment to focus, he opened them, looked around, "I want to help her, I want to stop her. You're home, Glen. Can't you show me...tell me about Emi Gummi!"  
  
For a moment, nothing then the landscape around him shifted and changed, becoming the room they had passed through into that hall but new. A small girl, about his age, sat on her bed, kicking her legs back and forth. Dark violet fur, so dark it was nearly black with midnight black hair to her waist. She held a look of utter frustration as she jotted down on a scroll. She spoke Old Gummi as she wrote and even without knowing the words, Cubbi understood frustration when he heard it. Her face and just…the feeling in the room.  
  
“So…that’s Emi,” he breathed to himself. A young conflicted Emi but Emi…  
  
And beyond that, he felt her emotions. Well, maybe not felt, but it was like the emotion in the room was put into a form he could understand. Not quite a translation of the words she was writing but a general gist---she had been talking with a human sorceress, named Celina. She enjoyed learning about human magic but the woman was getting more and more curious about gummi magic, it made her uneasy. The confusion and frustration was quite apparent. She was feeling divided, like she wasn’t sure which way to turn. The way she laid her head onto her book at the end, not even bothering to consider she was now painting her face with ink, pretty much clarified that statement.   
  
Frowning, Cubbi tried to reach out, emotionally, as weird as that sounded. He wanted to know how she ended this conflict with the human sorceress. He’d asked and apparently, the Glen was answering. If it was showing him this then there had to be something afoot. Something he was supposed to pull from this moment. What though? That she had been making conversation with a sorceress named Celina? He wished she could see what this sorceress looked like or know more about her but he was getting just her emotions.  
  
“So…what did you end up doing, Emi?” he inquired aloud to himself. He closed his eyes, tried to reach out with his spirit like Aldi had been teaching him. To inquire, to wonder, to desire about the welfare of this gummi girl…  
  
The room shifted again, though only to show the passage of time. It was the same room, though with clothes thrown about. He saw the same girl again, this time with a...with...a...  
  
Well, Gum, it looked like a girl version of him! More so than even Tavi resembled him. Right down to the eyes! And Emi was calling her Naomi. So, this was the cousin that Emi ended up killing? It ...something else had to have happened! The two girls he was watching were talking and laughing and chattering like Sunni and Calla did all the time! Cubbi cpuld FEEL the connection between them! It was the same feeling he got when he was around Sunni or aroun Tummi! That closeness of siblingness, that sense of you’re one of my dearest friends and no one is ever going to touch you! No way! What had happened? This Emi sounded NOTHING like the gummi the trial and stories talked about! The way she was lying on the bed with Naomi perched right next to her, covering his mouth, laughing. They looked…FELT like two normal gummi girls! What the heck…?!  
  
Shift again.  
  
This time, Cubbi recognized a library, or at least one that looked similar to the one he knew. Emi Gummi was pleading with her aunt (he assumed) to be allowed to learn a little magic, that it was in her blood. Her aunt, gently but firmly, refusing. Emi, being frustrated but still relenting but leaving in a huff. Oh, that emotion he recognized. That feeling of utter desperation, of rejection, of wanting to be heard, of feeling like you were screaming for someone to understand and o one was even glancing up. He had felt it a few times, being the youngest and he felt that from Emi now,  that and a strong desire to show she was her mother’s daughter, a desire to be proud of that blood she carried. A pride and longingness that drove her to leave the Glen…  
  
…to seek out that sorceress again, despite a feeling of uncertainty about the woman that leaked off her. Once she left the Glen, Cubbi could sense nothing else.   
  
“What happened?” he cried to darkness. “She hadda to have come back! What happened! I needa know what happened! She was happy, she was good! What happened?!”  
  
When it shifted again, Cubbi had to fight to keep from being sick. Oh, it was not the murders or anything like that but when Emi entered the room this time, her  face was different, cold. Not emotionless per say but darker, colder. She looked like she was his age or so now. So, a few years going by...but that was not what was bothering Cubbi. Oh, no. See, he could hear voices here. But, the spell picked up on emotions, not on verbalizations. So, he did not hear what was said per say, so much as what was felt.  
  
And what he felt was:   
  
Violation. Trapped. Prisoner. Helpless. Forgive me!  
  
And a completely different emotion of triumph, of disgusting manipulation accomplished.  
Cubbi knew that feeling. Oh, dear Gum, did he know it. The helplessness, the disgust at yourself, the frustration, the fear, the anger...  
  
The force of the shock forced the image away. He sat there, on his hands and knees, panting. "So...that's what happened. It wasn't Emi at all....”  
  
It made so much sense, so much sense. A prisoner, a victim in her own body, so much like he was and how long had she…but why didn’t she fight back? He had tried, surely she must have tried. As angry as she had been, she had not felt hate for her family. She must have fought back…  
  
A surge of so many emotions and images that Cubbi felt dizzy.  
  
Attacking a librarian in front of the Great Book---pleading, begging, that sickening feeling of I’ll-do-anything-just-stop-it-ness!   
  
Attacking the leader of the Glen—No! No! Anger…frustration, pleading, pushing, such a strong attempt to force them away.  
  
Yet with each attack, he felt the emotion of…of whatever that sorceress was as well—the cackling, the triumph, the power, but most disturbing of all, just an overall sense of---“I. Will. Break. You.”  
  
All those attacks, all those deaths, the ones that weren’t connected to magical items or books, they were ALL to shatter Emi’s spirit! To make her surrender, to make her give up! All that killing, she was trying to shatter her will…Cubbi’s spirit felt ill, he wavered in image in response but then, that moment…that one moment he had hoped not to see.  
  
Naomi.  
  
Emi’s screeching at the one holding her prisoner. Her yells of retaliation, of a promise of justice, her threats. That evil sorceress’ laughing. Her utter, sickening joy. Poor Naomi’s fear, her pleading, her thoughts of ‘my baby, my baby’ as Emi had wrapped her hands around her throat. Her cries, pleading emotions until her body fell limp. Emi’s screeching, the pain of when one’s heart and spirit shattered into pieces. Emi’s sobbing, her broken, ‘I’ll-stop-fighting-I’ll-stop-just-please-no-more-ness.  
  
“Stop.” Cubbi pleaded, clamping his hands over his eyes. “Stop it. I’ve seen what I need to see.”  
  
The emotions of Emi, of that sorceress stopped but not because of Cubbi’s pleading. When he uncovered his eyes, the image was still there. “I said stop!” he repeated.   
  
The image remained except now, he felt another emotion.  
  
Determination.  
  
Naomi moved.  
  
But…wait…she was listed as one of the dead? She had been. In all accounts. So what was…what was the Glen showing him this for? Why? Was it…was threre something else? Something hidden? Something important? Why else would he keep having to see this? See this girl DIE?  
She crawled. Pain, so much pain, and yet…joy…life. A baby crying.  
  
So…her baby hadn’t died? Cubbi’s eyes went wide.  
  
Pain and fear from that child. Losses, so many losses. Dead sons…over and over.   
  
Then, finally…life…life that lingered at times but maintained. Life that preserved. Survived. A daughter.  
  
Dark purple. Pink hair, laughing, far less feminine than he had thought with a blue colored mate and a pink son…  
  
“STOP!”  
  
The room shattered like glass and Cubbi crumbled into a ball.  
  
“No, no, no.” He repeated to himself. “I…that’s…”  
  
Naomi’s son had lived.  
  
Her son had raised one daughter, with five sons dying before they reached adulthood.   
His daughter had lived a short time but long enough to marry her mate and bear a son.  
A pink furred son with a spirit full of adventure and desire for knighthood.  
  
Him.  
  
Shaking, crying, Cubbi whimpered, “Plucki…” he felt so lost, so lost, so lost…

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Library_**  
  
Plucki poured over book after book, tossing them haphazardly aside when he was done. Their original targets had proven without product. They were no closer to finding their lost ones. Ramsei had called upon some of their historians and they were all currently exploring the options those gummies suggested. As for himself, he had opted to seek out their books, their records of accomplishments, for clues, for possible places that they may have overlooked. Lumina said the exits were here. So where were they?! Where was Cubbi?!   
  
Plucki had spared whatever knights he could and sent them on similar searches when the first attempts failed. As it was, most of Gummadoon’s force, even if they were patrolling, were looking. It was rare for Plucki to utilize his power as Captain of Gummadoon's forces but he was utilizing them in full force now. He had to find Cubbi. He **had** to.  
  
Cubbi and Tavi were alive, they had not been killed, that much had been determined but that prison…that prison that lingered in that dark…heartless chamber… that was not acceptable to him. He WOULD find his squire. He would—  
  
"Sir Plucki, take a moment. I'll take over."  
  
Plucki turned, nearly growled at his brother-in-law. "No. Any news, Sir Ramsei?" His tone was sharp clipped, as he pulled open another record book, searching for another possible hidden exit. They had exhausted so many already that he had to dismiss a lot of what he found because they had already tried there. Tried and with nothing to show for it!  
  
"None yet, Captain," the knight replied, with a touch of concern in his voice. "But we are looking. We’ve contacted Historian Kedi. He may have some other ideas and we are ready to pursue them as soon as we know of their locactions.” Ramsei stepped forward, a hand on his Captain’s shoulder. “Plucki, take some time. You are going to destroy yourself with this obsession--"  
  
"Don't." He spat poisonously at his fellow knight, "Don't say it, Ramsei. Just don't." His eyes were dangerous, more dangerous than Ramsei remembered them being.  
  
"Plucki--"  
  
"It's getting to the point where I can't help it, Ramsus." The golden furred gummi admitted, shrugging off the knight's hand on his shoulder. "It's not healthy, I know. My son is dead. But when I look at Cubbi...I'm beginning to see the son I lost. And I fear for him as if he were my own son, reborn."  
  
Ramsei looked ready to protest, to screech that this was what he had been fearing, been warning, but what could he say? His brother-in-law was being truthful and one had little control over their hearts. He saw pain there, in his Captain's eyes. Pain he had not seen in years and pain he had no desire to see ever again. Pain he HAD to take away.  
  
“I…have to find him. Cubbi. My Cubbi. I have to..” Plucki set his elbows on the table, buried his face in his palms, allowed himself one moment of weakness, one moment to weep in utter despair.  
  
The blue knight approached, took his brother in a strong embrace, saying, "We will find them, Plucki. I swear it."

* * *

  
  
 ** _Cubbi’s Prison_**  
  
Cubbi had taken to rocking back and forth, silently sobbing to himself. Oh, to have seen it. To have felt it, felt all that pain, that agony. And he couldn’t tell anyone. Emi had finally been stopped from killing, stopped from causing all that pain and feeling all that misery and he had let her out, let that sorceress free to torment her all over again. To torment her race…HIS race. All his fault. While he was grateful to have learned so much, it had done nothing to make him feel any better. If anything, he felt even worse. Like he deserved nothing more than to linger here forever. Served him right. His fault, his fault…  
  
Aldi’s spirit appeared, silently at his side, frowned, asked, softly, **_"You think Papa will hate you for it?"_ ** He tried. Cubbi’s depression was spreading. If it happened for much longer, he might not be able to get out of here at all! He HAD to save him. He had to get him out of here! Aldi could not see everything Cubbi had seen but he had seen that the cub had uncovered something. Something that had led to the entire landscape turning ice cold and pouring sleet. Something that made the brave boy curl into a fetal position and sob.  
  
Jerking at the accusation from his mentor’s fallen son, Cubbi’s voice caught and Aldi interrupted him before he could answer, _**"That's stupid, Cubbi, Papa won't be mad at you. Isn't your fault."**_  
  
Not his fault. Yeah right. How could…he had let her out. He hadn’t stopped Tavi in time! He had not listened to his heart, like he was supposed to! All these things he had done and it had cost his kind dearly. He probably had just signed his race’s death warrant. And knowing what the REAL Emi was probably going through now…  
  
Not convinced, Cubbi made no response so the son of Plucki and Illsi frowned, thinking. ** _"Why don't you ask Papa yourself?”_**  
  
"..Say what?" Cubbi’s heart skipped a beat, just briefly.  
  
Aldi shrugged. **_"Gummi spirits can call to one another you know."_ ** he spoke it like it was common knowledge. " ** _Papa calls to me and Mama every so often so we'll come and just hug him. Makes him feel better."_ ** Aldi drew away a little but kept a hold on Cubbi’s hands. **_"I betcha that you could talk to him here. Just call to him."_ ** He smiled, _**“Remember how I taught you to center your emotion and ‘talk.’ Like that!”**_  
  
"Call to him? Aldi, ....that’s different than how this place works. I mean, sorta the same but…. I dunno how to call to spirits!" He frowned. He had called to the Glen itself but he had tried to call to Plucki before, when he first found that exit.

Nothing. “Remember when I tried to call to him before?” he reminded Aldi, “Didn’t work then.”  
  
Aldi rolled his eyes, **_“You weren’t doing it right. You were trying to call like the flesh call. You have to call like the spirit call.”_**  
  
Cubbi looked at Aldi, eyes wet and red, so desperate, so scared, so lost. Aldi wanted to pull him out of the prison himself but he had no ability to do that. Trying to stay focused, the son of Plucki, stated **_"You...just focus on them. Think about my Papa. Think about wanting to connect with him. Your soul should do the rest...I think."_ ** He really didn't know how else to describe it. He was just so used to doing it. While they didn't do it a lot, when he'd been alive, he and Papa would go to the burial grounds some times and relish in Grandpa's spirit. Hearing that Cubbi had no idea was a shocker though after how hard it was for him to learn to focus his spirit, maybe it shouldn’t have been. Perhaps this would be good in more ways than one.  
  
"Great." Cubbi commented with a sneer but it was a lot more than he had before. He felt cold suddenly though. What if Aldi was wrong? What if he called to Plucki and felt so much anger and disappointment and...  
  
 ** _"What if you don't though?"_ ** Aldi asked simply before vanishing away, like dew in the morning sun. Ghosts liked to do that and Aldi was no exception, but it had left Cubbi with something to consider. He was afraid, deeply afraid, but he wanted to...he DID want to see Plucki again. He NEEDED to see Plucki again! Needed that comfort, that protection…

He didn't want to be stuck here forever and if he could talk to him, just a little bit, maybe he could warn him or...  
  
Trembling a little at the prospect of being utterly rejected by the knight who was so dear to his heart, Cubbi shivered as the landscape around him turned snowy and icy to reflect that mind numbing fear. But...he was a knight to be. Knights didn't run from fears. Isn't that what Plucki had taught him? Couldn't he honor that?   
  
Closing his eyes, Cubbi focused, as much as he could, nearly starting to cry again, but tried to think of the knight. Of his looks, of his voice, of his scent, of the overall...feeling....he got when the knight was around him. He would think it would be hard but surprisingly, it came easily. He could almost feel the knight right next to him.   
"Sir Plucki, please..."  
  
  
Plucki would have normally contributed the feeling to being stressed, to being so worried, to being nearly sick with so many emotions but something felt familiar about it. Hard to put his hand on it but it definitely felt like he'd felt this kind of call before. Plucki was one to preach quite often that a knight's heart was their greatest attribute and that it will guide you if you take the time to listen to it. So, while he had every intention of plowing through another collection of books before seeking out if there had been any success with the other teams looking for answers regarding his squire and Tavi (despite Ramsei assuring him that he would be the first to know if something was uncovered) when he felt a tug at his heart that he couldn't explain, he set about isolating the cause.   
  
Thus far, he had wandered the halls, simply going where it felt the strongest. He finally stopped in front of that blasted tapestry. That was where he was feeling this tug. It wasn't Emi, that never even occurred to him. This was a familiar feeling, like when you see someone again after a long time and while their name may escape you, all those good memories still remain. He _knew_ this presence.   
  
_Oh…Gum….could this be…_  
  
The knight reached out, daring to hope, touched the aged threads and closed his eyes. His heart took care of the rest.  
  
  
Cubbi fell backward (or would have had he been on solid ground) when the landscape in front of him shifted, changed. Winds of snow and ice still blew as rain still fell and he still felt so heavy and lost but...then, in front of him, though it was translucent and faint, much fainter than when he had seen Aldi, was his mentor!  
  
"Sir Plucki!" he cried, reaching out for his mentor, only for him to pass right through him. He swiftly jumped back to his knees and turned back around. Oddly, the image dissolved and then seemed to reform in the state of strong arms around his body.   
  
“Cubbi, Great Gum…Cubbi?!" The knight's tone carried panic, relief and...yes, no anger! None! Oh, please let it remain so...  
  
"Plucki!” The cub sobbed, whole-heartedly and wished more strongly than ever that he could touch this form. He could feel the knight's arms around him but if he tried to respond, he passed right through it. "Emi's..."  
  
"We know, lad." Came Plucki's soft tone, comforting. It sent a warmth though Cubbi’s body that shook some of the wetness and ice from his bare fur. Hard to describe...imagine the warmth you get from a fire on a chilly snowy day when you have a hot cup of chocolate only it comes from inside and spreads through your entire form. That was what it felt like. "She's free but she has not attacked yet. We are on the alert--"  
  
"But it's my fault!" Cubbi screeched again and the winds around them began to roar, dropping so much rain that Cubbi’s hair draped into his eyes, soaked through with water. "I...I didn't stop Tavi in time. Emi tricked us. We shoulda gotten you! We shoulda told you what we were doing! We shoulda--"  
  
"Shh," Plucki's tone was gentle. No anger, no hate. Just that gentle understanding that was reminiscent of the brave knight's persona. "Calm yourself, lad. Look at me."  
  
Lifting his face, stained with tears, Cubbi sniffed and wiped his nose with his forearm. The Gummadoon Captain smiled at the boy, filling Cubbi’s heart with that pride, with that sense of acceptance. Despite the faintness of the knight's appearance, he still reached out and wiped at the tears in the boy's eyes. "No tears, my boy. Calm. Deep breath for me.”  
  
Nodding, Cubbi obeyed.  
  
"Again."  
  
Cubbi complied and the raging winds seemed to settle.  
  
"Once more."  
  
With the third breath in and out, the storm calmed and Cubbi had to admit, he felt much more settled. Weird that simply breathing could do that to you.  
  
"That's a good lad. Now," the knight's words, again, were gentle. "Talk to me." Again, those half-mist like arms settled about him. Oh, how he wished he could truly lean into this embrace. Gum, he needed it!  
  
"T-tavi said that she had found a way to save her brother. Said she had to go now. Said Destini tol' her and that it was in the Glen." Cubbi took a breath, inhaled, wished again he could smell the knight's strong scent but he found he had another comfort. A soft yet strong presence that seeped through his body, apparently from the spiritual form of his mentor. It...was...well, when he was sick, Grammi used to stroke his hair to comfort him. This presence that spread throughout him was quite similar.  
  
"I see." Again, no judgment from the knight, just acknowledgement.  
  
"She...she was so scared Plucki, so worried. I couldn't...I couldn't just let her stand there and cry. So...I went with her. I shoulda...we shoulda known it was a trick but we thought...maybe that because it was something so powerful it was close by to keep Emi contained. I shoulda talked to you. I tol' Tavi somethin' didn't feel right. You always tell me to listen to my heart and I didn't. Well, I guess...I guess I did but I listened to it too late. I...Gum, I'm sorry, Plucki!"  
  
"Shh." Plucki's voice was different than before. It sounded similar to when Cubbi had rushed to him with that nightmare of becoming Zorlock. Strong, yet gentle. Comforting. He felt the knight's presence about his head and wondered, if they had been truly solid, the gummi most likely would have been cradling him into his chest, holding his head. Plucki seemed to do that when something was afoot. "Shh, calm your heart, my boy. I'm not angry. You should not be either."  
  
"But we let Emi--"  
  
"No." Plucki argued. "You followed the most vital aspect of a knight's duty--to help others. Is it not the duty of a knight to defend others, to save those that cannot save themselves?" He inquired softly  
  
"Y..yeah." Cubbi agreed.  
  
"Yes, you are correct in that you should have informed us before leaving but answer me this--would Tavi had waited?"  
  
"N-no." Cubbi shook his head, "I don't think so. And...she...she looked so scared Plucki, so worried. I _HATE_ those eyes!"  
  
"Because you have the knight's heart, lad." Plucki's voice reassured him again. "You strove only to help her, am I right?"  
  
"Y..yeah." Cubbi agreed. "I just wanted...I wanted to make that fear she had go away."   
  
"Noble, my lad. A noble motivation that some of my adult knights have to remember some days. Yes, you made a mistake but it was a mistake born of love, born of devotion."   
  
Plucki stroked the boy's head again, softly, saying, "I cannot be angry at such an act. Your heart acted before your mind. That is a flaw that I wish more had."  
  
Closing his eyes, Cubbi relished in the feel, the sensation of the his mentor holding him so close. Relished in the knowledge that he was not reviled, that he was not hated, that his mistake was not going to haunt him for all time. "I'm so sorry Plucki..." he said again.  
  
"You are forgiven my boy." Plucki said firmly, gently. "I see your devotion, your reasoning. I've already told you that it is a mistake born from good intentions. Do not  dwell on it."  
  
Like a weight was suddenly lifted from his chest, Cubbi fnally smiled. To hear Plucki say it...he...he had done the best he could. Granted, he'd made a mistake but he couldn't have known it would have such dire consequences. All he had wanted to do was help Tavi, to make her stop hurting. It had gone horribly wrong but Gum, he wasn't bad for wanting to do that!  
  
He gave a yelp of surprise as the entire landscape about him turned bright white, so white that he couldn't see. But Plucki's arms tightened around him, firm, steady. And his scent was comforting, strong, made him feell....  
  
Wait, he could smell him?  
  
Blinking, Cubbi opened his eyes and looked around.   
  
Gone was the emptiness of the landscape. He recognized Gummadoon's hallway, by the library. Jerking his head behind him, he saw that blasted tapestry, with a faint white glow about it, slowly fading away. Looking down, he saw he was no longer that odd floating aura of himself but solid. Soaking wet but solid. Gaping a bit, he looked upward.  
  
His favorite knight was right there, arms still around him.   
  
Blinking, in shock, Cubbi felt at the arms that were wrapped around him. Pinched them lightly, hit them lightly with his palms. They did not give under his touch. Fur met fur and flesh met flesh. Shaking, a little, he reached up, touched the knight's face with his hands, grasped his palms into that golden fur, let his fingers seep through that familiar beard a moment, before saying, feeling that odd raspiness that came when your throat--your actual physical throat--dry from not enough water: "P--plucki?"


	48. Chapter 48

__**Lady Bane's Palace**  
  
  While the body remained unconscious, the fight continued between the two souls within Lucki's corporeal form as it was carried by Sir Kai out of the Palace and on to Gummadoon.

 _How **DARE** you! I've practiced magic since before your grandmother was born! I refuse to be thwarted and snuffed out by a snivelling emotional brat!! _Lady Bane shrieked, launching herself at Lucki's soul, pinning him down and squeezing with all her might.

 _Back off! I'm warning you!_ Lucki said, pooling his strength, winding it up. When she did not relent, when she let her full anger and fear strengthen her soul's hold on his, he let loose with his own gathered impetus.

Lady Bane's attacking soul was not only knocked clear of throttling Lucki's but his strength was enough to push her to the very brink of the fold which kept her soul stuck in his body. To be pushed to that extent had her frantic, scrambling to keep herself together. She was powerless, squished up against the force which bound them together with such strength that it instantly terrified her. Not since... Not since Mother had she felt such fear, such weakness and helplessness.

When Lucki relented, not meaning to truly break her soul or push it out -- ...could he actually do that? -- but just to get her to back off, she fled as far from him as one could go when they shared the same body. He told her, _Don't do that again or I'll squeeze you out of me like a healer draws out a poison. Cuz you are a poison, Bane. Your soul is anyway. It's been trampled and chewed and bit and blown up until it's all twisted and sick. But it's probably the type of poison we need to stop Emi. Now, I know you're hiding something and I want you to tell me what it is. There's something more giong on between you and Emi than what you told everyone. So, spill it. Why are you afraid of her and no one else? Well, no one but your mother, anyway._

She flinched slightly when he said that. Just a bit, but he did see it. So he pestered, _What?_

Lady Bane clearly did not want to reveal any more but kept silent instead of casting idle threats his way. When it looked like he would pursue the answer endlessly, she begrudgingly said,   _I... I don't know._

It was a lame response, especially to a kid who'd used it a time or two himself. _Not buying it. Tell me. We need to help each other or we're not gonna make it, remember?_

If souls had teeth to grind, hers would be doing it. What she could do was visibly boil and seeth and hiss, which she did.

Which made Lucki a bit ticked off. Enough. _Or do I hafta poke at your emotions, your memories again._

 _ **No.**_ was her quick reply.

 _Good._ He didn't really like threatening people. Not even her. But he would if he had to. He prompted again, _Well?_

_I don't know why Emi spared me, nor how she knew my mother's nickname for me. I have no proof of anything._

_Don't need any. Whatcha got? A theory?_ That's what she seemed to be hinting at.

 _I... I do have a theory, yes._ One that had wanted to keep all her own, lest these wretched gummies find a way to use it against her, but it seemed as though the brat had gained more strength than even she'd become aware. Trifling with him, without giving even a little of what he suspected, would likely lead to a very bad situation for her. So she added, before he could get all huffy again, _Emi's journal... She uses words, phrases, much like my mother. She... sounds... like my mother._

_And you said Emi and your mother knew each other, that your mother taught Emi magic?_

_Yes._

_And you think Emi killed your mom and somehow absorbed all her power and attributes?_

_No, stupid bear. Think. My mother didn't care for teaching, and you can only teach someone so much. No, there is only one logical reason why 'Emi' would dare call me 'Little Bane', why she is so good at using spells my mother crafted herself, why she sounds like her, acts like her, thinks like her. Two people met. Only one left that meeting. That's what they say, but I don't think that's actually what happened. Not by far._

* * *

  
**_Halls of Gummadoon_ **

Cubbi would remember little in the next few moments except a deep feeling of calm that seeped into his very soul. He also felt as if he were floating and later realized it was Plucki carrying him to his mentor's quarters. He would also recall the soft voice of Sir Plucki, heard it echo inside the Knight-Captain's chest along with the adult's heartbeat.

"I've got you, Cubbi. I've got you, son."

It was a struggle to remain awake, to not fall into the warmth of sleep. Cubbi fought it, despite his exhausting trials. There was still so much to tell Sir Plucki.

"Emi... Not Emi..." he murmured, sleep threatening to claim him now that he was safe from his ordeal and secure in his mentor's arms.

"What's that?" Plucki leaned closer to hear.

"Not... Emi..."

When Cubbi felt himself falling, his arms flew out to grab purchase onto something solid. They smacked Sir Plucki in the face.

"Hold, lad. I'm only placing you on my bed. I've got to get you dried off, a change of clothes."

Yes, that's right. He was on a soft bed now. He'd only been lowered to the bed is all. Cubbi willed his arms to work and had managed to sit up by the time his mentor returned with a towel and fresh clothes. He did not resist nor try to assist the Knight-Captain as his clothes were removed, his fur dried.

"It's... not Emi." he got out while Sir Plucki toweled him. 

"I don't understand, lad. What do you mean 'It's not Emi'?"

"I mean," Cubbi took a breath, let it out. He was more awake now that he was feeling real cold and real wet and real solid surfaces again. Being out of Plucki's warm comforting embrace also shocked him into a more aware state. "that poor Emi is just like I was. Plucki, she's not herself. She's possessed by some... something. I don't know who or what but... something. Something truly evil. And it's not her fault, Plucki. That... that poor girl..." He couldn't help the quiver of his lower lip, nor the tears which spilled from his eyes. "I saw what Emi did. There were memories in that prison. I couldn't do nothin' but watch 'em, Plucki! It was... so horrible. And... and I felt Emi, felt her fight that evil person at first but it didn't work. It was too powerful. And I... I felt her will break, Plucki, and I couldn't do anything but watch!" 

His blubbering exposition turned to full-on bawling and he threw himself into his mentor's arms. There was just too much pain. Too much he'd seen, felt, could do nothing about.

Never minding the wet towel half-wrapped around Cubbi and starting to soak him, too, Sir Plucki returned the cub's embrace with equal strength. He wanted nothing more than to keep holding the lad, reassure his safety, never let further harm come to him, and yet he knew he could not afford either the luxury or the lie. He knew they were not safe. None of them were safe. Not until the threat of Emi -- or whatever lurked inside her -- was captured, removed, or if need be destroyed. The revelation that the poor girl was possessed, and had remained possessed even still while in her prison which had meant to heal her, was sickening. How had they missed such a detail? Had no one thought of it? Or was the one within Emi, controlling her every move, so powerful that it avoided detection? Perhaps also, possession simply wasn't as well-known or used by evil sorcerers and sorceresses back in the day? Plucki knew not. He knew only that, armed with this information, they could potentially devise a better means of capturing Emi and her possessing parasite and perhaps driving out the evil.

Actually, he knew one other thing... "Cubbi," he began, pulling away from the lad but only to place a clean, dry tunic over the cub's head. "I know it was difficult to experience that but I must know if there are any other details which may be important to stopping what is within Emi and helping your poor fellow Glen."

He thought, given the boy's previous bout of tears, that a request for more information would be met with resistance. Cubbi instead stood up and became more animate. Excited even. "Plucki... I definitely got more to say. It's... it's..." He shook his head, trying to find the right words. "Mind-blowing." And he gave a little shudder.

Sir Plucki, looking on the lad standing so brave and full of news, his body tilted forward just a tad as he meant to deliver something huge, looked so adorable in the overlarge knight's tunic he'd fetched to throw on the lad that the Knight-Captain could not hold back a large smile. "Alright. Blow my mind. I'm ready." He returned a mask of seriousness, however, for the situation was not one to savor such a precious moment for long. 

"It's something I don't want anybody else ta know, okay? At least, not yet. Promise? You gotta promise."

Plucki frowned, growing concerned. What would he feel he had to keep from everyone in this crisis? "I promise, Cubbi. I won't tell anyone else without your permission."

Cubbi leaned in, right to Plucki's left ear. "Emi's cousin Naomi, the one she killed? Naomi's my ancestor, Sir Plucki! I'm related to Emi!!" That last bit squeaked out on a bare whisper.

Sir Plucki pulled slowly back from the cub, looked  him over, swallowed hard. Yes, this was news that may upset some, but not for the reason that Cubbi may seem untrustworthy due to shared blood with the most terrible gummi in history (now known to be possessed). No, it was for his own safety that this information must be kept close. Cubbi was most definitely right.

"I understand, lad. I won't let anyone else know. I swear." And he took Cubbi in his arms once more.

Cubbi leaned into the embrace, needing the comfort once more. "I knew you wouldn't." The cub indulged in the warmth of his mentor for as long as he dared, perhaps only a moment or two. He'd just come from a terrifying prison of emotions, just escaped his own self-doubt and self-recriminations. He... he just needed a little break...

Plucki felt the cub's legs give out before Cubbi himself even knew what was going on.

When Sir Plucki caught him, the poor cub, worn in body and in spirit, couldn't seem to summon the strength or will to stand again. "Just... just tired, Plucki."

"It's alright, lad. Rest. I'll take what you've told me to the council. Everything except that part you wanted kept secret."

His eyes closed. He snuggled into Sir Plucki's hold of him. "Seen Emi yet?" He just wanted to know how safe they were, if he could afford a little rest right now.

"No. No sign of her. Just rest, Cubbi."

"... 'kay." As his body went lax, his mind drifting into unconsciousness, the memories and sensations felt while in the emotion prison of Emi bubbled to the surface, emerging as semi-coherent words. "... Old. She's... so old..."

"Hm? Emi is old?  Yes, lad."

Cubbi roused briefly to respond. "No... What's inside... It's... really old... Ancient..."

And finally sleep claimed the cub. He was still and silent in the knight's arms but for his calm, soft breathing.

Sir Plucki let out a deep sigh of relief. Cubbi was back, safe, in his arms. They now knew the root of the problem with Emi, why she appeared to go mad, why she had no morals, nor compuction against killing her own kind. It wasn't really Emi at all. How stupid they'd been...

But, for just a moment, he cradled the zonked Cubbi to him before setting him down gently. This particular room, a side office Plucki generally used for more private meetings, was also warded from magical spying. Cubbi should be safe here and he must leave, must go see the council, and make a new plan of action to not only capture Emi Gummi but to save her.

* * *

 

_**Tavi's Prison**   
_

  
  Painful silence. Stabbing, ringing accusatory silence.

A cold that burned without ever being visible by breath or frost or snow. It burrowed into her, grabbed her tight, wouldn't let go.

Darkness that permeated everything. It was a dark she felt through her entire being, felt its cloying touch like a suffocating bog she could neither escape nor protest.    

Tavi hung suspended in the tormenting sensations. Felt like they were eating at her, had been eating her, for a very long time. How long? A month? A year? Ten years? Yet she had no will to resist, to fight. She only had her guilt.

She'd killed them. Killed them all. Her family, her friends, her entire race. 

She deserved to be stuck in this terrible eating darkness and biting cold and stabbing silence. And she was so tired, yet could not escape the torment of this prison. No escape...

She wanted to give in, let it consume her completely, yet this little voice so far away and buried deep within her would not let her. She couldn't exactly hear words but she got the meaning, even across whatever spanse it was trying to span. _Don't give up. Don't give up._

It happened slowly, gradually; her awareness of a speck of bright, of hope. Tavi could at first only perceive a tiny pinpoint of soft light in the suffocating darkness. She was so enmired in her prison, however, that she could do nothing but take notice of it and hope it was something not painful, something good.

It reached for her, that tiny light. Reached out and touched her. The darkness, like a mould upon her skin, cracked and fell away to dust when the light touched her and the warmth from that single point of contact began to filter in, to seep all throughout, and chased the burning cold into a retreat. Tavi whimpered, overwhelmed by even the smallest amount of relief. Anything was better than that of before, even the bitter rain which began as soon as the darkness sloughed off her. At least it was something not painful. At least she could breathe in the sad rain.

When the relief had also seeped in and left her free to feel the guilt and despair of before rise up, Tavi frantically began searching for something, anything else to get away or past them, past the memories they would bring.

The light... It had expanded to a break in the rain. It was not far off, though it had wandered away from touching her. Or... had she pushed it away? Didn't matter. She had to get to it!

Struggling through the torrential downpour in this dreadful prison, Tavi waded toward the light as if through tar. It was so hard, not because it was an actual physical thing, but because it was trying to pull her down with waves of horrible guilt which splashed over her head and rained down from above. She cried, oh how she cried, but she fought past it, grit her teeth, pushed at the guilt with anger and with determination, and pushed on toward the light for it was a break in her clouds.

She reached it, she reached out toward it. As soon as she made contact with the light, she felt her hand clasped in the strong and gentle grasp of someone whose touch instantly comforted and consoled her.

"There, there, child. I'm here. I've found you."

Tavi launched herself at the person, though she could not see him. She felt completely safe within his presence, like she knew him and his old voice. She tackled him and held on tight and cried.

"Oh-ho! Look at you." The elder's voice had a smile in it as warm as his welcome return hug. "Do you know me, child?"

"I... I dunno." Tavi squeaked out. "Maybe, but, please, can you help me get out of here? It's crazy in this prison. Nothing makes sense! And it hurts to be in here. Please!" she begged.

"It hurts because you've been going about it all wrong. And you should know me, especially in this place, because it is your soul that's imprisoned here, your body kept safe but separate."

"My... my soul?" Tavi pulled away from the old guy holding her. And, finally, she was beginning to see him. Faint at first but the ephemeral glowy outline of an old gummi in wizard's robes shocked the heck out of her.

"Of course. This is a prison which focuses on emotion. It tries to heal by turning all inward emotions outward and also by providing available memories, but if those memories or emotions are extremely negative, they must be fought through in order to be freed from them and therefore this prison."

Tavi just stared at the guy. "Huh??"

He chuckled at her. "I can explain, though part of this prison wasn't reaching you. I'm a bit surprised that you've managed to evade most of the memories in here but, then again, you are my granddaughter and a powerful budding sorceress in your own right." His soul form grinned at her. 

"Your... granddaughter??"

"Yes, Tavi." His grin remained.

"But I don't remember you." she admitted sadly. He seemed like a really smart gummi. It was a shame she didn't know him. And yet... "I... I think I know your voice, though."

"Oh?"

 "Yeah." She thought a moment, tried to recall where she heard it, because it was recent, and was interrupted by a sudden memory which surrounded the pair.

She was in a tiny room, the hidden room she'd found when searching for clues, the same room she'd found the magic book in.

It was a recent memory. She knew it! And seeing the memory, she knew exactly where she'd heard that voice. It was a voice she heard in her head when reading the magic book.

Tavi turned slowly to face the glowy transluscent form of her grandfather.

"Ah, so you found that old thing, eh? Yes, that was mine."

"But it sounds like you. I mean, to me, it sounds just like you!"

"As it should. A little piece of me is buried within the spell used to create that book."

"And... you're my grandfather?"

He issued a small bow. "Merlinni Gummi."

"You're... Merlinni... an' I'm your granddaughter?" Taking it in, Tavi barely noticed the turn of her mood, the lift of the rain, the warmth of her surroundings.

"Yes. Now, I'm not able to get you out of here, but I can certainly keep you company and help keep your spirits up, so to speak."

"You're just gonna cheer me up?" Tavi glared at him, both doubtfully and scornfully. She did not notice her surroundings darkening at the negative emotions she felt.

The spirit form of her grandfather cocked a brow at her. "Believe me, child. It makes all the difference in here." 

 

* * *

 

**_Sarrika's Medical Wing_ **

  
On hand for medical needs once more, Sarrika was at the ready in an instant when the shouts went up, calling for her. She rushed to the hall in time to lend aid carrying Sir Timothi of all people in to the nearest cot.

 

"Tim!" She lay a hand on his arm, her eyes scanning his body for visible injuries. The swollen leg caught her notice first. "Gentle with that left leg." she told the knights helping Timothi.

 

In a kind of fevered daze, Tim struggled to stand, to sit up, his arm stretched out, searching. "Sarrani... She's... out there."

 

"No, Tim. Lay back down." Her normally forceful tone was a bit moreso, given the fact that her sister, Sarrani, was whom Sir Timothi spoke of. She wanted to know more, to know what had happened, but had to look to Tim's injuries first. "Talk but lay still. Can you remember what happened? Can you tell us anything?"

 

"An army... loyal to Emi. Humans... Their greed knows no bounds. They're no longer loyal to us... Attacked us on sight!"

 

Within, that which dwelt within Emi smirked devilishly. What better way to sew dissent than with a false but definitely believable tale? And when the humans came to lend aid, if they made it that far, the seeds of doubt were planted and would carry long after she'd make "Tim" disappear. "Don't... don't trust any of them. They're... under Emi's control! So... powerful." Tooting her own horn, perhaps, but it isn't like any could stop her. She was indeed powerful, young again. Still, it was a shame that little sorceress bear had to remain in the prison. That body, under her command, would have made her even more powerful than even sad little Emi. 

 

Thinking about it, she wondered where her disappointing daughter and her own hijacked gummi body were at the moment. Such a sad attempt at possession. Resurrecting a dead body, dragging the soul back to it, and then managing to pull off convincing the gummies that their dear child had returned from beyond. That was worthy of some praise, perhaps, but when she'd poked a bit at the tenuous connection Little Bane had on the cub, how fragmented and falling apart the body felt even from the distance of her disintegrating prison, she could only shake her head at her daughter's vane attempts to copy her. Sad, sorry Little Bane. But where was she now? She'd lost track of Little Bane during the whole escaping-from-the-magical-prison moment and since leaving she'd been too drained or too busy to consider the twerp.

 

While resting as "Tim", perhaps she'd poke about and find her disappointing child, if only to poke at that tenous hold until it snapped, trapping the poor excuse for an offspring in some sort of soul oblivion. Honestly, it might be amusing, that end to Bane. 

 

"He's back!! Sir Plucki found Cubbi!!" was the announcement which rang through the halls as the runner ran by with his news.

 

Within Emi's disguised body, the monster within it sneered. The brat escaped?? HOW had he got out so soon? How had he got out at all??

 

... Fine. No matter. She'd not waste time on Belittled Bane. It was time to start her plan into full swing and attempt some preemptive damage control while she was at it. 

 

She let the body slide into a false unconscious state which would let her roam a bit and find the answers herself. She heard the healer gummi ask if Cubbi required medical attention and heard that, no, he did not, that he was still with Sir Plucki. She heard the news crier yelling down the halls, growing fainter by the moment. Hmph. With so much going on, and the gummies on high alert knowing she'd escaped, could she let her awareness wander further than this medical ward and risk being caught? She could... if they were further distracted with a more immediate concern. Perhaps it was time to awaken her own "helpers" and get the ball rolling on plundering this troublesome race. Only then could she truly have delicious fun tormenting them mercilessly.


	49. Chapter 49

**_Lorath Wood_ **

    “I don’t like this.”

    Sarrani eyed her fiancé, inquiring, “Come Tim, I want to get home as much as you do but you can see as well as I do that the fog and rain hasn’t lifted. We would be wandering aimlessly.”

    The knight turned, gave her a smile, though it did not reach his eyes “I didn’t say I didn’t understand why, Sarrani, I said I don’t like it.” The knight folded his arms, stood next to the carriage, his eyes watching the unfriendly skies. Sarrani, sitting on the carriage’s step, kept her sight on him. It was rare to see such a serious look on his face but oh, she saw it now. He had the look about him that said he was on guard. While she did not blame him, given what they had encountered, Tim had never been the very “on edge” type. If anything, he was more likely to take an optimistic view.

    “Tim…it’s something else, isn’t it?” She laid a hand on his arm.

    Sighing deeply, he nodded, “I can’t say what,” he admitted. “It’s just…a feeling.”

    Jackson, still leaning against the nearby tree reached into his knapsack, “The weather can have that effect, Sir Timothi.” He advised, “Our talk of such sad and dark times is no doubt not helping. I know we have been waiting and delayed for quite a time. The mind begins to play all kinds of tricks after enough waiting with little result! I don’t have a lot to offer but care for a pickled egg?” he offered the food out and Timothi barely kept the wrinkle off of his muzzle. Gum! What was it with humans and pickles? And wanting to ‘picklify’ everything? Somethings were just not meant to be pickled…and that was everything. He swore after they got back home, he was not going to come within a mile of pickled _anything_ until the day he died.

    “No, thank you.” He managed without gagging and the human eyed him.

    “You say you have a feeling, knight.” He stated simply as he took a bite of the egg himself. “Much as I would like to say its simply the weather or perhaps the talk of the hour…I think it’s something more. Tell me, what kind of feeling?”

    Timothi shrugged in reply as Sarrani eyed him, “Talk to me, Tim, there is more than you’re letting on.” Her look had already acquired the ‘wife’ powers and he slacked a bit in his posture, leaning deeper into the carriage’s side.

    Exhaling loudly, he remarked, “I can’t really say. No way to really describe it. I’m not sure how you humans are trained for knighthood,” he addressed their host gently “But we gummies are raised to put a great deal of trust in our hearts. In our feelings. My Captain always said that a true knight’s heart knew valor and truth as well as the wicked know cowardice and lies. So, the knight’s heart will guide you. Trust it.” He eyed his dear one, lay a hand in her hair, “I don’t want to worry you Sarrani but my ‘knight-heart’ is screaming at me.” He eyed Jackson, “I thought maybe it was as you said—the waiting, the unknowing, the stories and the weather even. But no. It’s something else. Something deeper. Nothing I can really describe though but it’s yelling and yelling loud.”

    Sarrani frowned, “What is it telling you?” she inquired, seriousness painting her face terse. Her future mate returned a look of similar focus and concentration.

    “That we need to get home. That no matter what the barriers, we need to step up our speed.” On this, Tim was adamant. He had been  trying to convince himself otherwise, to tell himself that he was just being paranoid, that he was just on edge because of the weather and the unknowns. He’d tried to convince himself that what Jackson said was true but he could no longer lie to himself. As the hours wore on, he was becoming increasingly more worried. He wasn’t even sure WHAT he was worried about, nor could he tell you what kind of danger he was looking for. However, it was deeply settled in his gut. “I…know we are stuck but something is telling me we need to move on regardless.” It was risky move but it was the truth.

    Sarrani frowned, eyed him “Would we even be able to make our way back to Gummadoon with this rain and fog? Or, as Jackson said, would we end up in Drekmore?”

    Timothi groaned, grasped his hair in exasperation and frustration, “I…I honestly don’t know, Sarrani but I know we HAVE to go. Now.”

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Halls_**

    The crying and shouting down the halls was enough to pull Gruffi and Sunni’s attention. They had taken a small break, with Sir Ramsei giving the excuse that they needed to look over their other options and they needed to get some water, at minimum. Much as neither gummi wanted to stop for even a moment, the knight was unrelenting, stating that having them pass out from lack of water would only add more tension and would do nothing to help with the situation. Well, they could hardly argue with that logic but still, hearing the shouting got everyone up and rushing into the hall, the half touched glasses of liquid forgotten.

    The gummi, a young messenger gummi with wild yellow hair and dark green fur rushed the group and Ramsei made his way out of the room, taking hold of the younger gummi firmly, “Kilbi!” he spoke firmly, “What in Gum’s name is all the fuss about?”

    “Cubbi,” the gummi shouted firmly, “Sir Plucki has found Cubbi!”

    Gruffi was instantly in front, though Sunni was not far behind. “Where is he? Where?” His tone left no room for argument and his eyes were wild, frantic. It was rare that Gruffi let his tough outer wall down but it had come crashing down here. Cubbi was alive and Cubbi was here! Free from that dark, suffocated, soul-eating presence! He HAD to get to him, to see with his own eyes that he was alright, unhurt. His paternal instincts were in full swing and there was next to nothing that was going to put a stop to them!

    “Sir Plucki took him to his chambers down the hall…” Kilbi managed to say before he was being pushed past and the brown furred Glen was tearing down in the specified direction. Never mind that he truly had no idea where Plucki’s quarters were. Never mind that he had no idea how Gummadoon’s palace were laid out or that the halls tended to twist and curve like the Glen’s and he was much more likely to get lost than find Cubbi at all. He didn’t care. Cubbi was alive!

    Gruffi was gone, with Sunni trailing him. Ramsei sighed deeply but he really couldn’t blame them. This was great news though he had quite a few questions for his brother-in-law. How had this occurred? Where had the exit been? So many unknowns! He shifted his attention to Kilbi, “Kilbi, please, let the others know. Was Cubbi hurt that you’re aware of?”

    The gummi shook his head “Not that I heard. Plucki was taking him to his quarters, he didn’t ask for a healer.”

    Ramsei nodded and released the gummi gently, with thanks. Well, that was encouraging but it did not exactly mean that Cubbi was not hurt. Knights could handle most basic injuries. It did mean, at least, that no major damage had been done. Yet, there were so many unanswered questions. He sent Kilbi on his way and set out on his own path to track down the Glen leader and girl. While he did not blame their desire, he knew it would achieve little for them to go rushing about. If they were going to be so adamant, then he would at least lead them on the right path! They had no time for people to be unaccounted for.

* * *

 

     _ **Gummadoon** _

    Leaving the body unconscious served her purpose well for the moment. It was expected and no one would be the wiser. This gave her time to reach out and set her plan into action. The gummies were learning too much and if Cubbi had somehow…HOW…managed to escape that then there was no telling what secrets he had uncovered. She needed to make her move now. Oh, she had no intention of killing them all, at least, not yet. No, that was too quick and quite frankly, there were too many of them. However, invading the main palace, splitting them, taking out the major players and then working through them bit by bit…oh yes, that was quite accomplishable. She would have licked her lips had she not been disconnected from the body, in anticipation. Oh, how she longed to hear those screams.

    The spells were easy enough. Well, perhaps easy was the wrong word but for her, they were easy enough. Her foolish daughter had really made a mess out of possession but it had triggered an idea of sorts. She needed more folks to lead her attack than just herself. She could utilize numerous attacks but that still left the limitation of one body. She needed enough forms to keep the knights busy, to allow her to target the counselors and the main three knights. Those damned bastards that had captured her, stopped her from achieving what she was MEANT to do! Oh, she would _end_ them, but slowly. She wanted them to _suffer!_

    She had learned all too well over the years how to break a gummi. The Gummadoon knights…their compassion would be their weakness. Those cubs that they had taken under their wing…oh, she would delight in ending them with their mentors helpless to stop it. Oh, and then to rip apart their precious city, its inhabits, piece by piece, lavishing in the protests and begging she would receive for it. Oh, it was almost intoxicating, the power that would flood into her in that moment!

    No time to get caught up in her emotions. She stilled her mind, focused. She wanted something that was useful but something that she had an abundance of. Something that would throw the gummies off, make it hard for them to resist, would be easy to control. There were quite a few options for her. Animals seemed to be the go-to for most sorcerers but she had never been fond of them. Animals, even when controlled, fell to the whim of their instincts and desires. They could only take so much punishment before their self-preservation would overpower their slavery.

    There were stone statues about Gummadoon. Bringing stone to life that resembled real life was easy enough and she had to admit that the strength naturally built into the rock of their make up could be handy and useful. The downside was that they could be easily dealt with by magic. Well, that did not seem a reason to not utilize them though. She would need to plan her attack, take care where she used them, make sure they were away from most of the wizards and council members. Magic, while _nearly_ limitless, still had some limits. Distance was a large one. The usefulness of walking statues was not to be underestimated though. A conjuring spell to give them movement would be simple enough. While they would not be useful against magic users, against knights, especially inexperienced ones…oh, they would do delightful damage. A simple blow from one would shatter bones. More than effective enough to break lines.

    That still left the fact that she would need reinforcements when she took the Council, took the main Palace, took the experienced fighters. Hmm, gummies were most easily conquered when there were emotional attachments, things that made fighting difficult. While she had every intention of using the squires, the pages to break the knights, to break the councilors, she would need something else to get into the palace, to get to them, to get to a point where she could trap them in a locking spell or something similar.

    Her daughter Bane had summoned and reformed a dead body. Easy enough. It was the soul that caused the problem. Little Bane had been foolish enough to pull both back to the land of the living. While it certainly pretending to be the cub easier, it had complicated things immensely. However, the idea of utilizing a deceased gummi body, of making it little more than a meat-sack, there truly was some thought and potential in that idea. The use of long dead gummies, restored to flesh but with no driving spirit…oh, she could do so much!

    It would take some time, a few hours, to get everything in place. Her daughter had taken nearly two days to revive that useless cub body but she was not restrained by needing to figure out the stickiness of souls. She had no use for them. The bodies themselves, simply restored to viable shape, they would do quite nicely for what she needed them for. In place of the muscle, she would make up for it in pure numbers and in emotional anguish. Oh, both useful AND so entertaining to see those gummies break their hearts trying to stay alive! A fight against those they had already set to rest!

    And…there _was_ a very accessible supply in the nearby graveyard.

* * *

 

   ** _Gummadoon Courtyard_**

    “Will he awaken soon?” Berrybottom inquired as they dismounted at the gate. Sir Kai stepped off, still cradling the unconscious Lucki. He shifted his attention to the Councilor. It was rare that any of the higher ranks either knight or otherwise included him on a mission. This had been unexpected for him. He had been glad to go on the quest, glad to lend aid where he could but it was still…unusual for him to be in a position that the Councilors were asking questions of him! Gum…

    “Uh…well, typically the sleep sand in the staves can take up to an hour to wear off but the sleep sand in the capsules is more concentrated.” He reported, holding Lucki a bit tighter. “I…believe that it may take up to…three hours? Maybe four?” They had covered such things when training for knighthood and they readdressed them on occasion but given that the capsules were rarely used, they did not discuss them nearly as much as the mist use of the sleep sand. He felt like a useless little kid but he turned and eyed the eldest of the knights with their band, Sir Horli, for confirmation. “Correct, right?”

    Despite the tenseness of the situation, the elder knight gave a smile at the awkwardness. “Aye, good memory, Sir Kai. However, we do have an antidote. I’ll need to retrieve it but it should wake him up fairly quickly. Give him quite the headache but it will pass.” He shifted his sight to the others, “We should regroup as soon as possible. We need to know what happened with the others, where our current status stands. If the extra precautions we met at the gate were any indication…” there did not seem to be a need to finish that sentence.

    Grammi was anxious to get back to the others, to find out about Cubbi but she found herself eyeing Sir Ecri, “Sir Ecri? You alright, my dear?” Perhaps it was a bit odd to address a knight with such a term but she was more than old enough to be his grandmother (once you took all the time-travel confusion with Gummadoon’s vanishing spell out of the equation) and she just naturally tended to address people in such a form. The young knight turned, eyed her and gave a simple nod to her inquiry.

    “Yes, I’m fine. Sir Horli, you should lead the others in, arrange the meeting, see if the others have returned. I’ll join you shortly.”

    Councilor Wooddale eyed him, “Where are you going, Sir Ecri?’

    “To take extra precautions. I cannot give you details, out of necessity, but know that I feel it is vital.” He tried to find a better term and fell back on their old mantra “My knight-heart is advicing me.” The gathered group gave a nod at that response and the knight headed off into the courtyard, past the shops and towards the many different homes that surrounded the city’s center. Perhaps Ecri was being overly cautious but given what little they had learned thus far, it was best to err on the side of caution. Emi was ruthless and she made a habit of gloating about tormenting others, about making them suffer. They needed to reduce the damage she could do if…no, WHEN she attacked.

    The remaining group filed inside as Sir Ecri disappeared into the city’s main hub. There were not many people about; while they had been careful not to announce the coming of Emi or even of Lady Bane’s doing, the gummies knew something was up and about. The entire populace of Gummadoon had picked up, very quickly that their knights were on edge, that the council was restless. While it was not something the gummies looked to spread needlessly, it was good that the city was on alert.

    Ecri reached his first destination, knocked and gave a smile to the small red furred cub that answered “Hi Sir Ecri!”

    The knight knelt down to his level, “Hello to you too, Page Rexi. Where are your parents? I have a request to make of all of you.” He paused, looked at the cub intently, leaned in close, “I have a special task for you.” The small page giggled and jumped up and down.

    “I getta have a mission? ME?!”

    Ecri could not stop a smile, despite the deep tension gathering, “Oh, yes. A very important one for your family. Are you up to it?” He looked up as the cub’s mother and father made their way onto the scene. Rexi proceeded to turn and run to them, squealing, “Mama, Papa, _I_ getta have a mission, ME!”

    The two parental figures smiled at his excitement and inquired, “Sir Ecri? Is something wrong?” The mother in particular eyed him with caution. They had not seen Ecri since the war and everyone knew how broken he had become and here he was, suddenly appearing on their doorstep with purpose in his tone. With all the hushed and silent threads weaving through Gummadoon lately, they were rightly concerned. The knight suddenly appearing with a mission did little to quell their fears. If they were trying to send a page into a mission…no, no, they would not do such a thing. Jali, Rexi’s mother, clutched her hyperactive child close to her just the same.

    The knight stood, “Not yet. I speak truthfully though” he stated, wishing he was better at this than he was. Speaking to adults he was used to and speaking to cubs he was used to but trying to reach that in-between where he gave the information needed but didn’t scare the kids…he was not quite that good. He wished he was though. But, there was no time for politics. “Jali, Rici,” he addressed each of them, “It’s true I come with a mission for young Rexi but you two will need to be involved as well.” He looked at the young page, “I need a brave page to be on alert as his parents travel to South Gumpton. We are still lacking far too much information on our returning cousins’ histories. Would you be willing to travel with your parents, stay on guard against threats, and return when summoned to present their history for our Council?”

    “YES!” Rexi grinned, “I getta travel and learn from other clans AND I getta talk to the Council when I’m done? In the Council Chamber and everything?!” Oh, the boy’s excitement was quite tangible and Ecri allowed himself a small smile. He remembered being just as excited for such things when he was young.

    “Yes, if your parents are in agreement to this task,” the purple knight added and shifted his gaze from the cub to the parents. Ecri met the eyes of Jali and Rici and bless them, they caught on quickly. He saw it reflected in their posture, their eyes, their voice.

    “Rexi?” Jali asked softly, “Are you ready for this?”

    Nodding firmly, Rexi grinned, “I’ve never been to South Gumpton before!”

    “Exactly,” Sir Ecri commented, thumbing the child’s nose, “And who better to know what questions to ask than someone who is approaching with a brand new view?”

    Rexi beamed widely (it was a wonder his cheeks were not splitting) and Rici asked, “We’ll be glad to accompany him. When should we leave?” He was locking eyes with the knight, sending out non-verbal questions in spades. Both he and his wife knew what they were **really** hearing; there was no reason to suddenly need to get South Gumpton’s information and most of that could be obtained by Gummiscope or at the next major holiday. Yet, the knight’s non-verbal command was quite apparent— _get your son out of here. We’ll alert you when it’s safe._

    They knew not what was coming but if Sir Ecri was telling them, albeit covertly, to leave, then they needed to go.

    “As soon as possible,” Ecri told them quickly. “Taking the way of the quick cars as soon as possible would be best. The faster the route, the better. Rexi, are you prepared for this? To be on guard even through the night?” he added that because he needed Rexi to be devoted to this, to be willing. So far, it was working.

    “You betcha, Sir Ecri! I’ll do it!” Rexi turned to his parents, “I’ll go get my stuff!” Then like lightning he was gone.

     Ecri took full advantage of this, pressed close to the parents. “I do not know if I am simply being paranoid but I would rather be cautious. Take the side exits, go swiftly, go quickly. And do not stop. I’ll come get you myself when things are clear.” He paused, waited a moment then added, in a quiet tone, “Emi Gummi.”

    Oh, the silence that spoke volumes. The silent gasps, the paled faces but then, Rici’s solid hands on his wife’s shoulders.

    “Yes, Sir Ecri.” Was all he got in reply before the parents vanished to ready their own steeds. They could take the horses to South Gumpton if so desired or send the steeds back to Gummadoon and take the Quicktunnels. Ecri waited until he saw things were moving quickly before he moved onward, seeking out all the pages, one by one. Each one, he gave a different mission to—one, he sent to the small but growing warren of Gummla, one he insisted travel to New Gummerset, and the last went with Gummadoon’s blessing to the rising warren of Bearson. It was only when he saw the last of the family steeds vanish through the east path towards the woods—some on horses, some on foot, but all but Rexi’s family headed for the Quicktunnel entrances. Rexi’s group was headed toward their destination at a swift gallop. Ecri saw a handful of other families with the pages; they had spread the word, though thankfully carefully. Too many folk rushing out would be a solid sign of something wrong and the start to a panic.

    Luckily, the parents of their pages were known for their calm heads. It looked to only be a few additional families, ones with little children. That was for the best. The more children they could remove from Emi’s warpath, the better.

    When he saw the last of the families disappear into the edge of Lorath Wood, he felt comfortable enough to return to the palace. He only knew that Emi would not hesitate to use those that they loved against them. She had made a career out of it. The squires were too deeply imbedded but they would be provided as much protection as was able. The pages though…for the most part, they had been spared the horrible on-goings but that would not mean they were safe from Emi’s grasp. She would not hesitate to use them, to hurt them.

    So, while he did not know of any place that was necessarily “safe” those warrens were either new or unknown to her. They had only been formed or rebuilt after the Ancients from New Gumbrea returned. It may provide some protection, or at the bare minimum, a chance for them to stop her before she had a chance to expand, to create chaos as she did all those years ago. It was far from a perfect solution but currently it was all Ecri could muster.

    Four cubs safe…a whole city to go.

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Halls_**

    Plucki had expected to be met with folk desiring answers so when he met with Gruffi and Sunni rushing the halls, he was not surprised. Reading Gruffi’s  face easily, he held his hands up, “My friend, Cubbi is fine.” He knew the moment he said it that Gruffi would not be fine with simply that but at least he was beginning the conversation. As much as he understood wanting to go and grab and hug and squeeze the cub, that was not going to be a possibility right now. It was for Cubbi’s benefit that he be allowed to sleep. The best thing they could do was figure out a strategy.

    “Where’s the kid?” Gruffi all but demanded upon meeting the Knight Captain in the hallway.

    Sunni broke in, “I wanna see him!”

    Plucki kept his hands raised simply, softly and calmly replying “I understand your desire to see him but Cubbi is sleeping right now. The best thing we can do is to leave him be.”

    “Now you hold on—“ Despite Plucki’s status, Gruffi was very close to wanting to throttle him. What right did--

    Plucki interrupted Gruffi, setting him with a solid and stern look. “I know you want to see him but he is exhausted.” Plucki appealed to Gruffi’s caring side, kneeling down just slightly, “He was barely able to stay awake. I can tell you that he is safe, he is sleeping. Let us give him time to recover. No harm will come to him.” On that, Plucki was most adamant. He had just gotten Cubbi back and he knew, as only Gruffi could know, the strong and immense desire to clutch your loved one into your chest, to know they were safe. However, they currently had no such luxury for such things; he had been blessed to receive it.

    Sunni grasped hold of Gruffi’s arm, “C’mon Gruffi. I wanna see Cubbi too but if he’s sleeping…like, he actually ran outta steam and passed out, don’t you think we should let him? It takes a lot to wipe him out and besides…it’s not like we won’t get to talk to him when he wakes up.” The yellow furred girl eyed Plucki, “You said he wasn’t hurt, right?”

    Plucki nodded, “Indeed, he is fine, Sunni. Worn, tired, exhausted but fine. I have him in a special room within my own chambers. Magically warded and unknown to all but my most intimate friends,” That part was the absolute truth. Gumlittle and Blastus knew of it and the few knights had drawn in there for meetings knew but honestly, the only people he truly spoke with in that room were his brothers. “He will be safe.”

    Sunni nodded, eyed Gruffi, “C’mon, Gruffi, being all emotional isn’t gonna help. We need to plan.” She narrowed her eyes, “That’s your territory. We need that part of you right now! Please…”

    Plucki lay a hand on Gruffi’s shoulder, “My friend, I know your heart desires to be a father right now but circumstances dictate that you need to be a leader right now, the clan patriarch that Cubbi speaks so highly of. He mentions, more often than not, of your strategy skills preserving your family through many a crisis. We are in need of that kind of thinking, direction right now.” Plucki paused, added, “The best way to help Cubbi is to make certain the threat is dealt with.”

    “…right.” Gruffi stilled his emotions. It was rare that they overpowered him so passionately but not unheard of. Plucki was right though. He needed to think and thinking was the best way he could help Cubbi. ‘Sides which, planning and stuff like that, leadership, goals, that was all stuff he knew inside and out. Emotions, even for cubs that he held close to his heart, were so alien to him sometimes. Much as he wanted to see Cubbi, to pull him close, to see if he was alright, after that initial relief, emotions were not his strong point. Last thing he wanted to do was scare the kid but given the tension right now, he may well end up doing that. Emotional expression was so complicated sometimes and his mouth didn’t always work so well at expressing his real thoughts. Much as he loved the cubs, comfort, connection and all of that was Grammi’s territory, not his.

    But Plucki was right; strategy was. That was one area he could truly help. It was his way to contribute, to protect, to keep this wild and crazy Emi from doing _more_ harm. How a gummi could even contemplate the things she was said to have done was beyond him but that wasn’t important. His logical thinking was in full swing now—what mattered was that she was loose and she was a threat. They needed a retaliation plan. He eyed the Captain, clasped his arm tightly, “Did Cubbi give you any info?”

    The Captain nodded. “Yes, some vital information. I was on my way to gather those here for a meeting, as soon as possible. Have you seen any of the others?”

    Sunni shook her head, “Not yet. But we haven’t heard from the other knights for a while.” She eyed Plucki, “Should we meet back at the main council chambers?”

    Shaking his head, the Captain replied. “No. We may well need to speak with Lucki and his team when they return. Much as I hate the thought, Lucki cannot be in a magically warded room as long as that sorceress lingers within him. We will need somewhere secure but also a place where that…woman…will not cause harm to Lucki. Our magical wards may hurt her and while she most certainly is deserving of it, she shares Lucki’s form right now. We need a place where the talk will not be complicated by her possession of him.  We used one of the smaller council rooms earlier. We may do the same.”

    Gruffi frowned, thinking. “Eh, I don’t like that. She’s free and she ain’t a fool. Emi knows we’re gonna be planning somethin’. You have any other more private rooms?” He understood the need for the lack of magical wards, figures that Lady Bane would make this MORE difficult, but if they didn’t have that protection then they needed to try and make their plans somewhere less conspicuous. Not that Gruffi doubted the ability of the Gummadoon knight guards. Far from it, if anything, they had only proven their ability to defend. This was not an ordinary foe though.

    Plucki considered this a long moment. Gruffi was right. If they could not make use of the magical wards then they needed some form of protection. Being in an unknown location would be a great beginning, “You have a point there, my friend. There may be another. We have an old storage room, scarcely used anymore but big enough. It will suit our purpose.” He did not add that there were also several exits from it; there would be time for that later, if need be. While he did not want to think about them being attacked while planning a defense, the seasoned warrior and commander in him would not let such a thought rest. So, the more exits and defensible a position, the better. Especially given that a few of their gathered folk would be children, he needed to make sure. If there was a way for them to not be involved, the better but with Cubbi out of commission for the moment, the book may only respond to Toni and they would most likely need Corvi’s expertise. It was a horrible situation but it was what it was.

    Gruffi nodded “Should do. I’ll gather Zummi, come on, Sunni.” He paused slightly, as he took hold of the girl’s arm lightly, shifting to head back down the hall. “So…er…where is this room?” Gummadoon was big, huge. The palace itself was so much larger than the Glen was. While he could navigate his way through the Glen blindfolded, this city, as wondrous as it was, was alien territory to him. Much as he normally would have paced about until he found the room rather than inquire, the stakes were too high for even his pride.

    Plucki smiled simply, but his eyes remained serious, “Meet me in a half hour by the main stairs. I will gather the rest of our present company and alert the knights to escort our other friends in as soon as they arrive.”

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Playroom_**

    Ivori had grown accustomed to seeing Morri and Cori and with all the commotion going on, she was glad for the distraction. Sir Gori, bless his heart, was often found slipping in, and he delighted in entertaining the children. His stories were always a hit and Ivori was glad to see that they seemed to have taken all the cubs’ interest this hour. One might have thought that the hours were odd to keep but the fact was, she had noted Morri and Cori up at all manner of hours. Never getting into mischief but sitting awake, talking. She was not sure she wanted to know exactly what they spoke of, given their odd obsession with death as of late. Cori did not make as many comments as Morri did but his toys were “sad” or “sleeping” a lot of the time.  Morri still was doing some play that disturbed nearly everyone around but luckily, for now, he seemed more interested in Sir Gori’s story of the day.

    In fact, she found **herself** caught up in the tales of long ago, enough that the soft knock on the doorframe startled her. One could not blame them for wanting an escape from the nearly tangible strain. It had been nice to lose themselves in a tale of long ago when victory was assured for those that fought for good. The sudden intrusion, while sudden and definitely adding to adults’ frazzled nerves did little but irritate the enchanted group of youngsters but curiosity over their visitor stayed the eye rolls and groans. The group of cubs turned quickly and Cori was up and rushing.

    “Co’vi!”

    Falling to his knees, the teen caught his youngest brother in a tight embrace. While the atmosphere of Gummadoon was hardly calm; it was drowning in tension, he had taken the brief time they had, waiting for the other group to return to visit his brothers. He had not seen them in a while (it seemed like days but in actuality had only been several hours) but with everything that had happened…the truth of his father’s death, the trapping of his father’s soul, the coming threat, and the realization of what he had been pushing on his brother Morri,….he NEEDED to see them.

     Lifting his eyes from Cori, he met the eyes of his older younger brother. Morri approached, slower but with a smile, “Hey Corv. Do you know what’s going on?” He paused, eyed his brother, “Corv? What’s wrong?” His young voice sounded much older than it should have. No seven year old should have that kind of maturity or inquiry. Morri was not meant to have that kind of sense about danger. He should have thinking about guessing the end of Sir Gori’s story, not worrying about what his elder brother was concerned with. It hurt Corvi’s heart.

    The blond haired teen eyed the younger gummi, “I’m okay, Morri. I’m…sorry, I haven’t been around much.”

    Morri scoffed, “Corv, what’s going on and I don’t mean the city’s craziness.”

    The squire sat on the ground where Cori promptly claimed possession of his lap and the teen lay a hand in Morri’s hair, “Morri, you are way too smart for your own good sometimes.” He confessed. He let his hand linger there a moment, ruffling a bit. It did his heart good to know his brothers were still safe, still alive. “I…” he looked up, spied Lady Ivori and Sir Gori. “Could I leave Cori here with you two for a few more minutes? I know I’ve not been around a lot and thanks for taking care of them—“

    Morri scoffed “I can take care of myself, Corv!”

    Corvi eyed his brother, “I know but sometimes even _I_ don’t mind an adult. But I wanna talk to you Morri.”

    “Me too!” Cori protested! “Me too!”

    Corvi smiled gently at him, stating “Aw, but Cori someone has to be here to hear the rest of the story. I’ve only heard the beginning of this one. Can you listen and tell me the ending?” He leaned close to his brother’s face, “You have a good memory, right?”

    With the idea of supplying his brother with a detailed summary, Cori grinned “Yep, yep!” He was instantly up and rushing Sir Gori, insisting on sitting closer so he could relay the tale to his sibling. The retired old knight chuckled and was quick to pull the cub into his lap, laughing. With Cori quickly distracted, the two older siblings slipped into the hall with Corvi sitting on his knees and his younger brother grabbing hold of his shoulders and demanding, “Corv, what is it?” He frowned, his ears drooped some, “Talk to me, brother.”

    Corvi locked eyes with his sibling, “I’ve thrown way too much on your plate Morri. It’s not fair for anyone, least of all you. It’s not your job to watch Cori. It’s not your job to worry about all these things that I’ve made you worry about—“

    “Corv,” the younger cub blinked, surprised at his brother’s strong and passionate tone, “I don’t mind—“

    “That’s not the point!” Corvi snarled. “You shouldn’t HAVE to—“

    “And you shouldn’t have to watch me either but that’s how it is!” Morri groaned, “Gum, Corvi, sure, takin’ care of Cori can be annoying but it’s made me better. Now…well, haven’t you noticed how I’m not complain’ as much anymore! Never really hadda take care of him before…it’s hard! But now I know that and—“

    Corvi shook his head, smiled sadly, “Well, you’re right, it is hard and I’m glad you realize that but you shouldn’t have had to realize it this way.” He let his head droop, “I never should have done this Morri.” He swallowed, hard, “I told Blastus.”

    Morri blinked and stiffened “You mean...about Mama and…”

    “Yes.” Corvi clarified. “What I shoulda done in the first place.” Gum, he should have…

    “What about us?” Morri demanded, “Are we—“ He trusted his brother but what they had discussed at the beginning, about them being split up, about losing each other. Those scenarios began to fly through his mind at a rapid pace and only his brother’s firm hands on his shoulders anchored him back to reality.

    Exhaling deeply, the teen replied, “No, we aren’t being split up. I dunno what’s gonna happen just yet but Blastus gave me his word. We aren’t gonna lose one another.”

    Morri was quiet a moment but seemed to calm quickly. It was not just his age and accepting his brother’s word but it was the fact that everyone knew knights kept their words and Blastus had always been firm and strong on that. If he said that they weren’t being split up then they weren’t. “So….can I tell the truth now?” he inquired. “The adults know something—“

    “Yeah, they’ve been catching on for a while now.” Corvi gave a humorless laugh at his own ineptitude. “Should have known they would.” Really, the longer he thought on it, the more his actions seemed completely moronic. He trusted Blastus with his life. The first thing he should have done when Mother died was tell him. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the knight but he had…well, he wasn’t entirely sure what he had been thinking but it had been stupid, that much was certain. Maybe it had been the shock, the fear of the moment? He knew fear did weird things to you.

     Now, with the threat of Emi looming so close (he could practically hear her coming) he was eternally grateful for the support of his favorite knight, even if it was late in the game. Speaking of fear, he could NOT let it cloud his judgement as it had before. He was lucky that nothing horrific had occurred because of his poor planning. He could not afford such a risk again, especially with something far more dangerous than being parentless. He eyed his younger brother seriously, “Yeah, go ahead and tell them the truth. Tell them your idiot brother wasn’t thinking.” First thing first, clear the air. Not time to be wasted with lies and half-truths.

    Morri gave him an incredulous look, “Not stupid. Panicky but not stupid.” He wrapped his arms tight around his brother’s neck, saying “So, are you gonna start acting normal again now instead of trying to be a mini-adult?”

    Corvi smirked, “Well, not just yet.” He turned kept his smile, not wanting to scare his brother but his tone deepened in gravity as he looked Morri deep in the eye, “Since we’ve established that keeping secrets seems to be a bad thing-“

    “-Duh.”

    “I’ll be blunt with you but you needa be serious.” Corvi stressed. He did NOT intend to tell his brother everything that was going on but he was not going to pretend it wasn’t serious nor dangerous. “There’s a danger coming and it’s coming soon. It’s not going to be a ‘if’, it’s ‘when.’”

    Morri paled significantly, “Emi?”

    Corvi jerked, in significant shock, “How did…”

    “C’mon,” Morri insisted, “Give me some credit, Corv. The rumors have been running for days and in the last few hours the adults are just getting worse at keeping it secret.” He eyed him “Must be proof you’re turning into an adult, keeping secrets becomes something you’re really bad at.” He folded his arms, pouted, “But…”he frowned, “You…think Emi is going to attack?”

    “Oh, it’s going to happen, Morri.” Corvi corrected simply. “Like I said, it’s a matter of when not if. She’s free. So the first thing on her mind is gonna be revenge.” The thought made Corvi weak at the knees but all they could do was prepare. The anxiety of the coming danger was horrific. He almost wished that she would attack already; the waiting and walking on eggshells was almost just as bad. “So, yes, she is going to attack. That’s what I needed to talk to you—“

    “I wanna help!” Morri declared. “Let me help, Big Brother!”

    Corvi’s heart froze “No.” He snarled. “You’re not going anywhere NEAR the battle.”

    “Why not?” Morri demanded. “I can help. You and the squires are gonna be helping!” He narrowed his eyes, “Aren’t you?” He pointed to his brother’s belt. “You have a dagger so that means you’re helping! Blastie wouldn’t have let you have one otherwise!”

    Corvi groaned, “He loaned it to me when I went to the Glen to help—“

    “See?! You’re helping!” Morri accused.

    “Yes,” Corvi admitted. “Because we’re already in the thick of this but you aren’t. You aren’t involved and—“

    “I am so!” Morri shouted, “Because YOU’RE involved. If YOU’RE involved then I’M involved!”

    Corvi groaned and grasped hold of his hair, tugging in exasperation, “Gum, Morri, stop it—“

    “No!” Morri snarled, grasping hold of his sibling’s shoulders. “I have to help. I’m not gonna just let you rush into battle and possibly DIE and not lift a finger to help! I_can_ help!”

    “You can help me best by staying out of the line of fire!” Corvi argued back, giving his sibling a brief shake for emphasis. “You think I’m not scared Morri? I _am_! I _have_ to help. I’m _trained_ for it.”

    Morri scoffed, “Yeah right. You may be trained as a squire Corvi but they wouldn’t let you in this battle if they didn’t have any other choice—“

    “Well, that’s how it is, Morri. They need me and I _need_ you to stay out of the battle. Please!” Corvi felt suspiciously like he was going to be reduced to begging in front his kid brother. Morri normally just took his word as law, even before Mother’s death. Why, now, of all times, was he choosing to rear his stubborn side? He could disagree with him, fine, but normally he still listened! But now, he saw by the way he eyed the dagger then Corvi’s face, then how his eyes took on that solid gleam…Morri Gummi was not going to budge.

    “Why? Cause only trained squires can enter battle? Cause only you all can help? I was gonna ask to enter training you know before Mom got sick.” Morri folded his arms tightly, scowling at his sibling. “Still will once all this is over.”

    Corvi jerked in surprise, “Come again?”

    Morri nodded “I talked to Mom about it before she got sick and I was gonna ask Sir Plucki about it but then everything kinda barreled out of control. I wanna help people like YOU get to do, Corvi. Let me help!”

    Desperation flooding his heart, Corvi pulled his brother close, “Morri, I _can’t_ lose you! You or Cori! I can’t! My heart couldn’t take it!” He was starting to cry but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to scare his brother but Morri was scaring him! “I don’t wanna scare you Morri but you can’t be near this threat, do you hear me? You can’t! She’ll kill you! No remorse, no hesitation, she will kill you!”

    Morri blinked once then twice. “And what makes you think she won’t kill you?” He challenged. “You think that would not affect me? It’s not just older brother protect younger brother Corvi! The knight code, the squire code, says to protect, right? That means _I_ can protect you too!”

    “Young ones, if I may?” the warm, inviting voice of Sir Gori entered their conversation. The two cubs turned to the sound and the elderly knight slowly emerged from the doorway, leaning a bit in his gait but still fairly steady. “I did not mean to overhear, children but the ears of a knight remember hurting hearts well.”

    Corvi and Morri went quiet as the older knight approached and moved to sit on the ground, placing a solid hand on each shoulder. “Young ones, much hurt has come in your lives. Too much hurt. Morri, you are correct in that we ALL must protect, not just the older to the younger but young Corvi is also correct in that those who should not be involved, should not get involved.” He took a breath, “Young Corvi, your brother has a desire to help. That is admirable.” He turned to Morri, “But Morri, you must remember that sometimes we help in ways that may not seem that important yet turn out to be vital. You will have a chance to help,” he raised a hand to cut off Corvi’s protests. “But you must accept that not every aid in battle is in the form of a warrior charging into the fray.”

    Morri frowned, considered the knight’s words. “Well…but it _will_ be important? It’ll make a difference?”

    Gori smiled, “Aye! Take your brother for example. Do you know why they took him along on their latest mission?”

    Morri thought another moment then shook his head and Gori chuckled, lightly, touching the boy’s nose, “Because your brother is fluent in Old Gummi. His knowledge of the language was needed to translate old codes and avoid potential traps!” He smiled at Morri. “So even though he may not have been able to contribute physically like the others, he was still vital. Just like it was necessary to take some of Cubbi’s clan to find their way through the Glen. You will have your part to play.” He eyed Corvi, “I’m sure your brother may have an idea.”

    Corvi frowned, thinking. Much as he wished he could have convinced Morri to stay out of the action entirely, the more he listened to Sir Gori, the more he found he was fighting a losing battle. He had known that Morri had an interest in training for a while; he always asked about what it was like, what he was learning and when Father had been alive, he would practically attach himself to his leg. Then, there was the simple fact that Morri had a big heart. He always wanted to help, that was one reason he had not argued when Corvi had pushed Cori on him like he had to. So, he supposed he knew, in his gut, that this conversation was going to go nowhere. So, he would need to relent somewhat. He took a breath and eyed Morri, “Morri, the fact is that we’re going to need people that know Gummadoon’s passageways. Do you remember when we used to play in those old halls, the old rooms?”

    Morri nodded firmly, “Sure. We did that all the time. You and Lucki too.”

    Corvi nodded, “I…don’t know for certain but if we need to evacuate…and we may…we need to know those halls. It’s been a while for me. Can you explore them for me? Figure out the passages, what leads where? Where things intercept?” He eyed his brother, leaned in close, “And when…when things get…bad…I want you to take Cori and anyone you’re with and disappear into those halls. I’ll find you and then we’ll figure out what we can do, who we can save, what we need to do…you hear me?”

    Morri considered this and then after a moment, he nodded, “Should I take Cori with me?”

    Corvi eyed Gori who gave a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, “we would not mind keeping the little one entertained Corvi but if it will ease your worry, I’m sure a three year old will be quite adept at finding hidden passages.”

 


	50. Chapter 50

**_Glen Quarters in Gummadoon_ **

    Sunni dug through her bag a little more, trying her best to hurry. Plucki had met them at the stairs and shown them the small room before they had split again to gather whomever they could. Plucki had darted off, seemingly receiving word from one of the guards about an injured knight and then there had been shouts that the others were spotted returning. It was very frantic and hectic, with everyone rushing here and there and plans being exchanged from knight to knight. Gruffi had darted off to meet the returning group at the door with Plucki, with Sunni telling him she was going to the bathroom then would meet him in the meeting hall. He was quite reluctant to let her go but he also was not about to follow her into the bathroom either. One of the maids offered to follow and make sure she got to meeting room alright and he allowed it.

    Now, she had called to her waiting chaperone that she was coming. She _had_ gone to the bathroom but she had something else on her mind too. She didn’t know what she would be able to do if Emi attacked, if anything, but she did know that she would much rather have some means of protecting herself than to simply have to scream and run. As luck would have it, she had at least one possibility. She knew if she asked Gruffi or one of the others, she would just be told to stay hidden and not to approach the threatening gummi. Well, duh. That would be ideal. However, she knew…could _feel_ that things would not be that simple.

    When they had started on their journey here, simply on a trip to see Cubbi, she had thrown it into her bag, intent on showing it to Cubbi, to see what he thought. Now, it seemed that such a simple decision would serve her well. After digging through a few more of her things, she finally clasped her hands on her prize. Pulling it out into the candle light, she turned the small dagger over in her hands. It was simple, really, nothing too fancy. Well, to be truthful, it was two daggers, one smaller and strapped to the top of the first.

    On her last visit to the Barbics, Buddi had surprised her with it.

     _“For me?” Sunni eyed the Barbic teenager, smiling widely. “I…I dunno what to say…”_

     _“Well, you said that you were interested in learning some of our ways,” he defended, “So, I figured a dagger pair was a good start. Ursa started me on a wooden pair when I was four.” He beamed “But you’ve been in enough adventures that I think you can handle the real ones already.”_

     _Sunni moved the daggers a bit, one in each hand “So…how do you work two daggers at once?”_

     _Laughing a little, Buddi corrected her, “You don’t use them together Sunni.” He took hold of the smaller one, saying, “Two is one and one is none.”_

     _Blinking at her friend, she inquired, “What’s that mean?”_

     _Buddi clarified, “A survival technique. Two of something means one of something, just in case. If one of your resources breaks or is lost, you have a backup. You should always assume one should fail. If it doesn’t, then you have extra but if it does, you’re still prepared.” He pointed to the larger of the dagger, “You keep the larger one on your belt, the smaller one out of sight.”_

     _Sunni eyed his appearance a moment and Buddi, catching on, rolled up his left sleeve, showing her a strap where a small knife was sheathed. He rolled up his tunic a little and she saw another strapped to the inside of his thigh. Reaching into his boots, he pulled a small one, about the size of a finger length from the inside. “Ursa always says if you see one weapon on an enemy, assume there are two others that you don’t see.” He grinned “So Barbics carry three out of sight.”_

    “Sunni,” the female gummi outside the door called, “Are you ready? The others are beginning to file into the meeting room…”

    “Coming, sorry.” Sunni took the smaller dagger and strapped it on the inside of her thigh before replacing her skirt, pulling it down to hide the weapon and clipping the larger dagger to her belt. It most certainly felt weird but it also felt, oddly right. It was a small comfort and she was sure it would provide little help in the coming battle but…it was _something_. Maybe it wouldn’t do anything, given that this was a magical enemy. That was something the Barbics lacked in for certain—the practice of magic. But, Sunni found herself considering, was it going to be an advantage this time?

* * *

 

    ** _Gummadoon Meeting Room_**

    Lucki came back to consciousness holding his head tightly, “Ow…so that’s why we’re not supposed to mess with the sleep sand.”

    A large hand gently settled in his hair and he recognized Gumlittle’s soft voice, “Give it a moment, Lucki. Here.” A glass of a foul smelling liquid was pressed into his hands and without even questioning the smell, he downed it. It was just as foul tasting as it smelled but it did alleviate some of his headache. The only good thing about the headache was that at least Lady Bane was staying quiet. She was still there, still quite alert and present but she was not saying anything.  Lucki was about ready to burst with everything he had to say but he forced his tongue to be silent.

    “Are you with us again, Luckmeister?” Gusto inquired from his seat. The room felt very closed in and small but it was necessary. Looking about, the room was packed, though not so much that there was no room for movement. Gusto and his group had returned just a few minutes ago and Grammi had wasted no time in insisting they reconnect and share information, all the while demanding news on Cubbi. Amazing how such a small gummi woman could be so demanding and forceful. Yet, Plucki had been completely unfazed, reassuring her that Cubbi was fine and that she was “one step ahead of them” as they were gathering folk for a meeting at just that moment.

    Lucki only gave a small nod to the elder gummi’s inquiry. His entire body felt weird and it wasn’t just from the sleep sand effect. He really couldn’t think of a word for the feeling. The nearest thing he could think of was that his soul didn’t feel so pressed and strained anymore but more open and fitting. Kinda like when you stretched your hands into a new pair of gloves. He could still feel Lady Bane but she was not overwhelming like before. It was becoming more and more like they were on a level playing ground.

    She was worried and apparently, after spilling her theory to him about Emi truly being the spirit of her mother in charge, she had withdrawn into quiet. It was an odd feeling. He really hadn’t a way to describe it except déjà vu. It felt like…well, it was almost like feeling ‘normal’ again, save for the lingering spirit of Lady Bane in the back of his mind. At the beginning, he had felt like a small dot in the endless sea of pressure that was her spirit. Then, over time, it had shifted, becoming like they were two bobbing figures in a pool. Now, as consciousness really came back to him, he felt like he was in an oversized coat that was just a little loose around the neck. He looked out through his own eyes and it didn’t feel like he had to push Lady Bane aside, rather she felt like a voice in the back of his mind.

    And he felt something else…he’d felt it when they entered but he could not put his finger on what it was. Every time he tried to figure it out, the nearest thing he could come up with was the same feeling you got when you spied someone you had not seen for years and yet still knew. It was a deeper feeling. Almost felt like when he and Lady Bane conversed on the spiritual plane. THAT was what it felt like…like he was seeing/feeling someone or something on a spiritual level without actually really SEEING them. It was a weird feeling, not one he was used to. On the other hand, he wasn’t bruising like he had been before either so that had to be a good thing! Right? He refocused and his sight settled on the room. The sky blue gummi didn’t seem really satisfied by his small non-verbal reply but he really didn’t feel like giving a more detailed response.

    Sir Plucki took a moment to survey the room. It had taken some time but here they were: the council members, , Sir Blastus, Sir Gumlittle, himself, Gusto, Grammi, Gruffi, Sunni, Lucki, Corvi, Toni with that magic book clutched close to his chest, Tummi, and three other knights…Sir Horli, Sir Quimbi and Sir Ramsei. He had heard something about Sir Ecri coming but that he had needed to attend to something. Given how everything seemed to be falling apart, whatever Ecri deemed worthy of his attention was not argued with. The lad had always possessed good instincts. If he thought it was important, then Plucki would let him be.

    “Cubbi’s safe?” Grammi inquired again, eyeing the Captain nearly the moment the doors closed behind their last members arriving. She wrung her apron around her hands.

    Plucki nodded, allowing himself a smile of reassurance. “Yes, he’s fine. Weakened, tired but safe.” He eyed the returned group, “Did you have any luck—“

    Lucki spoke out, “It’s not Emi!” He spat out, Lady Bane’s theory still pounding in his ears. “The journals prove it!” He was fully willing to give Lady Bane’s theory weight but he figured, given her reputation for double cross that it would be best to present evidence and then back it up with a theory. He was uneasy about her thoughts but Gum if it didn’t make sense. He wanted to hear the others thoughts on it but also…wait, Plucki said that Cubbi was safe but where…

    Lucki stood up, addressed his mentor Gumlittle, “Where’s my sister?!”

    The large knight was quiet a moment then knelt, lay a hand on the cub’s shoulder, “We are still trying to locate a way to free her.”

    “Wait!” Lucki protested, looking around the room. “You said that Cubbi _was_ free.”

    Sir Plucki nodded, his eyes softening in sympathy. “Aye, he is and that was going to be one of my questions to the group. Cubbi is free but we need a way to free Tavi.” He addressed the young squire softly, “We have not given up on your sister Lucki but we must be prepared for battle as well. We need only to determine our next course of action then we will set out to free Tavi. We cannot afford for her to linger in that prison. The process for freeing Cubbi from the prison was unique. I will speak with you and your aunt about it and we WILL get your sister out, understand me?”

    The cub nodded though his nerves were now on edge. His sister had been caught by Emi? She was stuck in that prison? So many things he had found out and yet through it all, the most important aspect of himself—the protective big brother—did not relent. He could feel Lady Bane in the back of his mind, scoffing and snarling at how the freedom of his sister was not important. A rage rolled out of his spirit and he spat at her, both on the metaphysical plane as well as the physical one “Shut up! My sister is NOT unimportant. If you want ANY cooperation from me, we have to save her!”

    Gumlittle lay a strong hand on the boy’s shoulder and spoke sharply, “Sorceress,” he addressed the entity within his lost squire, “There is no negotiation on this matter. We _will_ retrieve Tavi from her prison. You can accept it or not but that is not something we will relent on. Am I clear?”

    Lady Bane scowled and complained and griped about “sentimentality” but she went quiet. “So what is our first course of action?” The tone, while spoken in Lucki’s voice, was no doubt directed by Lady Bane. At least she had accepted some of their terms. It mattered not if she was happy with it, just that she accepted it.

    Blastus replied, “We need to see what our position is, _qui? Mon frer_ ,” he addressed his Captain, “Your team has returned with lots of information. What of Lucki’s group? Lucki, you mentioned journals found?”

    Plucki raised a brow, “Indeed, lad, what are these journals?” Truthfully, he was more interested in the boy’s first statement of ‘it’s not Emi” as it certainly seemed to coincide with Cubbi’s own knowledge but the existence of journals could prove invaluable as well. There would be time to delve into Lucki’s statement. They needed to consider all their evidence and angles. While the clock was ticking against them, it was foolish to not look at all the knowledge you had uncovered. Sometimes, the smallest details proved invaluable in the end.

    “Er, yes,” Councilor Berrybottom stepped forward and laid the old, fading tome on the table top. “We found these tucked away in a secret chamber of Lady Bane’s palace. One that apparently even she was unaware of.”

    Lucki felt Lady Bane stir and oh was she angry at the accusation that something had happened in her home without her knowledge. It was an insult to her and she did not like it being thrown around. That being said though, the journals did have some things to back up her theory, though in her gut, she hoped she was wrong. All the same, the idea of those journals and what other information they might possess, scared her. If her theory was correct…if Emi held Mother’s spirit, then what potential weaknesses had she written down in those pages?

     _Why are you wasting your time?!_ Lady Bane’s sharp tone interrupted Lucki’s thoughts and he growled lightly.

     _We’re considering all options. Your theory makes sense but I wanna see if the journals back it up._ Lucki tried to keep his response short. He wanted to hear this and it was hard with her babbling in his head!

    Oh, she laughed here. _And you plan to do this through broken translation of Latin?_

     _Well, after that stunt you pulled with your magic book, they aren’t gonna let me near them, that’s for sure,_ came his snarky response. Despite how truthful the response was, it only succeeded in irritating her further but to her credit, she knew not to argue bare facts and went silent save for some minimal griping about gummies being such ‘miserable thorns in her side.’ Lucki opted to ignore the grumbling and try to focus on the topic at hand. He had only caught a few words of Latin. Languages were not his forte.

    Gruffi, unaware of the internal battle of Lucki, narrowed his eyes at the old writings. “What do they say?”

    Berrybottom frowned. “From what we could decipher, they are detailed accounts of Emi’s attacks. My Latin is fair and Lady Bane stated that she was fluent in Latin…”

    “However,” Sir Horli cut in, “She also attempted to utilize a spell book against us when she had the first opportunity. Brave Lucki thwarted her but I would loathe to give her access to anything we have any more than is absolutely vital.”

    Grammi spoke out, “But the journals might have some information we need.” She eyed Lucki, or more specifically the dark sorceress in her. Oh, how she’d like to whap that witch one with a rolling pin. Taking over a poor cub like she had and then having the audacity to try and turn on them when they needed cooperation the most! She was signing her own death warrant if she was not careful! They had no time for petty arguments.

    Plucki nodded in agreement, “Indeed. We need a more thorough look at—“

    “What about the book?” Toni interrupted “When Sarrika came in and asked for it to translate a book for her, it did that.” Maybe that would fix this whole Latin translation problem. If even Berrybottom had trouble reading it then maybe magic could fix it. It could fix almost everything else, couldn’t it?

    Quimbi reminded the child “Yes, but that was on a book that it had in its memory. This is not a book written and well known, Toni. It’s a private journal.” He frowned at the cub “And is the book even responding to you right now?” He inquired. He kept his tone gentle but serious. The young squire blinked in response to the question before shifting his glance down to the book. Toni frowned, glanced about the room then glared at Lucki. He was not meaning it to be for the squire, obviously but for the sorceress inside. Man, she had to make everything complicated!

    “Hey, Book!” Toni inquired of the tome in his hands. The room went quiet, waiting but the tell-tale glow did not occur. The book was quiet. Toni frowned, shook it lightly, “Hey, Book! Are you still sleeping?”

    Again. Nothing. Toni pouted and his ears dropped, “Guess you’re right Sir Quimbi.” He looked up at Plucki, “So…anyone else know Latin? Least well enough to read these things?”

    Berrybottom spoke out, softly, amid the quiet room “As I stated, I am fair in Latin. I could attempt it once more and perhaps with some help-“

    Lucki interrupted, addressing his best friend, “Corv? Can you look them over?”

    With that, all attention turned to the cub who had served as their Old Gummi translator thus far. The teenager was stressed, beyond what most could endure but being here and working with the group, he seemed more at ease. He eyed Lucki, seemed to realize that it was truly his friend and not the sorceress and gave a nod “Yeah, lemme see them.”

    Within Lucki, the sorceress seethed. The gummies’ lack of knowledge, at least on certain things, could be an advantage for her. Much as she knew she needed to work with them on this issue of Emi and her mother, the more secrets she could keep from them the better and those journals would be ripe with details, perhaps even mention things about her magic that one just did not want to get out. Wasn’t this brat their Old Gummi translator? These words were not written in Old Gummi but in Latin! She took hold of Lucki’s mouth, forcefully (and it took far more energy than she cared to admit) and snarled, “Weren’t you the Old Gummi expert? This is Latin. How many languages do you speak, brat?”

    Unfazed, Corvi stepped up to the table, between his mentor and Plucki and retrieved the old journals from the flat surface. Without missing a beat, he locked eyes with his possessed friend, and for the first time in a while, gave a snarky teen-like response, “Fluently? Four. Semi-fluently? Two. Conversation level? Two more.” He raised a brow, pushed his hair behind his ear and out of his face “Any more questions?” When no one spoke out, he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, stilled his still rapidly beating heart, the thoughts of his brothers, of the coming danger. He had to push them all aside.

    A strong hand on his shoulder reminded him…right, he was not alone. Not alone. Shifting to give his mentor a grateful half-smile, he cleared his horrifically cracking voice and began to read.

* * *

 

**_Cubbi’s Hidden Room_**

     _Cubbi…_

    The gentle tone had been interrupting his sleep for quite some time. He wanted so much to ignore it and quite frankly, that was what he had been trying to do for so long. At first, it had been easy. He was exhausted and his body and mind’s need for sleep had overwhelmed almost everything else. Despite being an alien bed and a rather small and isolated room, he had felt safe. He had awoken briefly, just once to the deep dark of the room but he quickly settled back to sleep. There was a calming smell to the room. Plucki’s smell.

    At first, he had thought it was the room itself, given that it _was_ one of the knight’s meeting room but upon a deeper thought, he realized that, no, the smell was coming from the tunic the Captain had clothed him in. It must have been one of Plucki’s own under tunics. That just made him feel even better, as it literally wrapped him in that scent of strength, of being protected. For a time, several hours perhaps, he lingered in that calm nothingness of sleep. It was a deep slumber, one in which even dreams could not be recalled.

    Yet that voice began to chant his name, continuously.

    Finally after hearing it nearly without stop for the past ten minutes, he forced himself to sit up. Gum, his head was pounding, pulsating right in the center around his eyes and the concept of moving from this bed was torturous. He felt achy all over and he just wanted to sleep. If they needed him in the meetings or in the planning sessions or whatever, he would be perfectly content to just sleep across someone’s lap and answer when prodded, pride be damned. Yeah, that sounded real good. He bet Plucki’s lap was really comfortable, always wanted to just lay his head down on him and sleep, like he used to do at the Glen with Grammi or Gruffi. Never tried it though…

     _Cubbi!_

    Okay, now he was a little more coherent. Looking around, he saw no source for the voice but he had definitely heard one. Swinging his feet down, he slowly stood, though being tired as he was, he swayed a bit, trying to ease the sleep out of his eyes with his fist. He slipped from the room, cautiously, into Plucki’s private chambers. If the situation was not so dire, he would have been faintly aware of how utterly…well, how completely he seemed to fit into the place. To any outsider, you would have thought it was a child walking around their parent’s home after waking up a little too early.

    Cubbi had a different agenda.

    That voice, he needed to find out where it was, plain and simple. It sounded desperate, almost pleading. More than the fact that his heart that always tried to help others though, he knew the voice. It sounded so familiar and yet he could not put his finger on it exactly. Slipping through the halls, he was drawn to a small room off to the side. He had never seen Plucki go in there but then he had not spent a lot of time in these chambers. He felt a sudden sadness at that and made a vow to himself that once this was all over, he would inquire about remedying that.

    Slipping towards the small room, the voice grew louder: _Cubbi! Cubbi!_

    Placing a hand on the doorknob, he turned and pushed the door inward.

    He found a room seemingly locked in time. There was a small bed, still made as if its owner would return at any moment, a desk with the chair neatly pushed in and a bookshelf filled to the brim with books. Some portraits and some coloring artworks decorated the walls, though the paper was starting to give on some of them. Dust was actually quite absent. It was quite obvious that someone had been coming in and tending to this room. Cubbi crossed the floor cautiously. This…had to be Aldi’s old room. It was evident. The way everything had been preserved, the way that it resembled a boy that loved to learn and read just like Aldi had…

    Aldi! That was who that voice belonged to!

    Whirling around, Cubbi demanded, “Aldi?”

    A slight swirling in the nearby mirror. Internally, Cubbi panicked. Not mirrors. Not mirrors…

    **_Cubbi!_**

    The familiar voice propelled him enough to step forward. To his utter relief, he saw only himself in the small mirror. No dark Emi, no threat. The mirror had swirls of mist about it, almost like fog and as he stared, waited with shaking legs from his most recent encounter with a mirror, he saw his face shift, change though only slightly. It grew slightly younger and his hair curled significantly. It took a moment before he realized he was staring at Aldi again. Gum, they really DID look alike!

    “A-aldi?” he asked softly, hoping.

    The figure nodded and he certainly hadn’t! **_“Yes, listen Cubbi, you hafta hide.”_**

    Cubbi blinked, “Huh? Hide?”

    Aldi nodded again, ** _“Yeah, something’s coming, something bad. Emi for sure but I dunno what she’s gonna do so you needa hide. Go get that key I tol’ ya to leave and hide in the passageways.”_**

    Cubbi felt more confused than ever but Aldi was completely passionate. It looked like he wanted to jump through the mirror and grab Cubbi himself but he didn’t. He just insisted, once again, **_“Go Cubbi! Please!”_**

    Cubbi had never been fond of hiding. He didn’t like it. That was a coward’s way out. But, all the same, he could at least go get that key that Aldi was talking about. Then, then he would need to warn the adults! Or…wait, could he without sounding nuts? He had nothing to back it up except warning from a ghost! Well, okay, Aldi wasn’t exactly a ghost but…still! There needed to be something more tangible to tell them than _“Oh, Emi is gonna strike…wait, you knew that. No, I dunno how or where or..”_

    Cubbi groaned in frustration and cursed his pounding head. “Okay, okay. I’ll go get the key but I don’t hide Aldi!”

    **“Cubbi, you have to! She’s gonna be coming for you! Especially now that you got out!”** Aldi insisted.

    “I know.” The cub replied “But I’m not gonna hide while everyone else fights for me. I hafta help. Can’t you tell me anything else...?”

    The spirit of Sir Plucki’s only child gave a slight shudder _**“Nu uh. I mean…I can slip back to the living world if I want but I can’t stay too long and it takes times to shift from one to the other. And even then, I can’t see everything. If she’s here, unless I know where she is so I can go look, I can’t tell you anything else.”** _ He bit his lower lip, or would have, had it been a solid body, **_“But…if you try to take her on…”_**

    “I won’t be ‘lone,” Cubbi insisted, narrowing his eyes. Aldi only seemed to tremble a little more so Cubbi couldn’t help but inquire, “You…weren’t gonna follow in your Dad’s footsteps, were you?”

    Aldi allowed a slight laugh and blush, ** _“Naw. I’m a bit of a chicken. I’m…well, I’m just scared for you, Cubbi. You can’t get killed just yet…not for a long time.”_**

    Cubbi rubbed the sleep from his eyes again, “Don’t plan on gettin’ killed at all, Aldi. I won’t be stupid but I have to help. I can’t stand by and not do nothing! So…how do I get back into those passages?”

    Giving up slightly, Aldi huffed, crossing his arms, **_“Oy, you act just like Papa!”_ ** He caught a half smile from Cubbi at that and well, he couldn’t help but smile back. **_“But...okay. See the bookshelf over there?”_ ** When Cubbi nodded, Aldi went on, ** _“There’s a weird carving behind it, looks like a dent in the stone. Push it hard and then when the wall opens, go to the left, then go down the stairs you come to. You’ll recognize it from there.”_**

    Cubbi rushed to the wall and sure enough, there it was, just as Aldi said. He slipped into the opening quickly enough and rushed down the stone corridor, pulling the oversized tunic a little tighter around his body. These corridors were cold! Well, in retrospect, maybe he should have grabbed something else to wear; he was gonna be rushing into a meeting in just his night clothes! Well, not even that, in an adult’s shirt essentially and nothing else, not even shoes. Still, if what Aldi said was true, they had no time!


	51. Chapter 51

**_Gummadoon Meeting Room_ **

    “It’s the wording.” Lucki spoke with Lady Bane’s tone; he hated to let her take control but he had to. After all, with the journals being read, they needed her input. “The way she phrases things. That is…” She paused and Lucki’s spirit gave her a nudge, a reminder that she had agreed to cooperate with them. “…like my mother’s form of writing.”

    The room was quiet for a moment more. It was finally Plucki that spoke out, “Her explanation coincides with young Cubbi’s revelation.” He caught himself, reminding himself to keep his word to Cubbi but this was the time to compare their notes, “Young Cubbi told me that while locked in that prison, he was exposed to memories. Memories of Emi and of what was occurring when she lived within the Glen.” He could not hold in a deep sigh at that thought, “He did not tell me great detail but great detail was not needed.”

    Oh, Plucki had the whole attention of the room now. None more so than that of Gruffi. “He saw memories?”

    The Captain nodded “He could tell me little, scarcely able to stay awake for the most part, but he was quite clear that he was able to see Emi, see her memories and he saw, or rather, felt, another entity among her, a dark creature. He said only that he felt…this creature break Emi’s will. Shatter it utterly.” He paused, took a breath “And then it took over, entirely.”

    Corvi looked down at the journals he held and set them down slowly, “So…Emi was possessed?”

    The entire room reeked of emotion, nearly dripping under the emotions of sadness, horror and utter frustration at their lack of sight. Those who had fought against Emi the first time could only look over their past battles and wonder…how had they missed it? How had they not seen it? Those that had not been there, that had only grown up hearing the stories, felt their own hearts sink. The knowledge that one of their own, one of their own that they had shoved from the forefronts of their minds out of pure fear, had been a victim and indeed still was, coated hearts in sickness.

    Blastus lay a hand on the Corvi’s shoulder, breaking the solemn silence. “So it seems, _mon petit enfant_.” He felt a whole mess of emotions himself. “All this time… _mon frer_ , do you know when it occurred? How long were we blinded?”

    Grammi interrupted before Plucki could reply, “Poor dear but does it matter, Sir Blastus? We hafta free the poor girl!” Gum, the idea of anyone being possessed, let alone for as long as they were indicating…if she had been possessed before her prison and now, now, after so many centuries, she had been free and that poor child was still stuck as a prisoner in her own body? The motherly gummi shuddered at the mere thought. “Now that we know she’s possessed, we can focus on getting rid of that evil thing inside of her!”

    Murmurs of agreement rumbled through the room. “So…” it was little Toni that spoke up, “It’s _really_ Lady Bane’s mom that’s in Emi?”

    Lady Bane spoke out through Lucki again, directing her caustic tongue at the little cub, “Yes, you little fool. Haven’t you been paying attention? Stupid of you all to allow babies in here.” She directed her attention to the adults gummies in the room as Toni snarled at her and stuck out his tongue, defending,

    “I’m not a baby. I’m clar..clari..” The cub never lost his sharpness though his energy dropped somewhat as the word escaped him.

    “Clarifying, darlin’” Grammi supplied, with a small smile at the boy’s spirit. Reminded her so much of Cubbi, no wonder the two of them had bonded so much.

    Toni nodded, “Right. That. Stupid to _assume_ that everyone else is on the same page. You make sure everyone understands so we can decide what to do together!” He shifted his attention to his mentor, “Right, Gummie?”

    The knight chuckled, lightly and squeezed the boy’s shoulder, “Yes, Toni. Rushing into things is how people get killed.” He eyed Lucki, tried to ignore the horrible fear that still coated him when he looked at the cub, pictured what might happen to him… “So, with what the journals say and your own experience, you state you believe it is your mother?”

    Lady Bane scoffed, “There is no other explanation for it. The two of them entered one of your blasted tunnels together. That memory is crystal clear in my mind. Only one of them came out.” She nodded towards the journals. “And the style in these journals. My mother had a very precise writing tone. These journals…there was a reason they gave me a shudder. They are her, completely.” She laughed, such a haunting sound to hear coming out of Lucki’s throat. “Her bragging, the way she savors her victories, counting off her victims….oh, that is all her. She would bathe in the blood if she had the chance.” She eyed the room, “I’d imagine if you let the boy keep reading, she would have gone into detail on it.”

    “How can your own mother be so cruel?” Speaking out verbally in the room, Lucki's soul would have shuddered had it been able to so in its stead, the body shook. His voice interrupted her deep sarcasm. “I mean, I understand her wanting power...”

    “No, you gummies understand nothing about the importance of power.” Lady Bane refuted. And odd sight, two souls speaking from the same mouth and seemingly forgetting all others in the room. “Fools. You willingly give power to your own people. This council of yours, it has enough power to rule the entire human race and yet it relies on votes, cooperation, compromise. Likewise, your precious knights...how much strength do they possess? How much skill? This Plucki of yours” She gestured with Lucki’s arm to the golden furred knight, “He commands them and yet he does not bother to DO anything with this strength!”

    Lucki **did** give a soul shudder that time, even though it seemed impossible, plus another shake of his physical body in revulsion. “Why? We don't NEED to. We work together to live together. why can't you humans...no, why can't YOU understand that?”

    Lady Bane laughed aloud, “This argument achieves nothing. You ask why my mother is so cruel, it is out of need for power. Nothing more, nothing less.”

    “She could have killed you before,” Lucki argued, slamming a balled fist on the table in agitation. “She could have killed you lots of times before. Why didn't she?”

    Sensing where the gummi was headed, Lady Bane laughed. Oh, how she laughed. It was a deep, harsh, heartless sound which made the entire room wince just out of discomfort. Such a noise should never come from a gummi throat, let alone that of a kind hearted child like Lucki. “Foolish cub. If you are hoping on the idea that my mother carries any affection for me that can be exploited...forget it. She has left me alive, if for nothing else, her own amusement. There is no love lost between us.”

    “But...” Lucki tried to wrap his brain around this concept, feeling so utterly lost. “You're her daughter...”

    “And Jason was her son.” Wow, Lady Bane must have been feeling the pressure too, willingly admitting and talking about Jason in front of this room full of people. She had been trying so hard to keep that secret. “Family has no meaning to her. She has simply learned to use it to her advantage.”

    Lucki interrupted the conversation to clarify to the room, “Jason is her brother. I saw…her mother murdered him in front of her.” He paused, fought Lady Bane’s screeching protests. “It scared her.”

    Lady Bane cursed the child for making her talk about such things openly. How dare he spout about her history so non-chalantly! For that matter, how was he diverting her to _force_ her to use the mouth? Making it impossible for her to simply communicate with him on the astral plane. Did he even know he was doing it? “Allow me to put it in crystal clear terms for you” she purposely ignored Lucki’s statement on her brother “--my mother absorbed power wherever she could. My grandfather, at a time, held financial and political power and she lost no time in taking it from him, of ending his life to obtain it...and she did so openly, with no hidden secrets about who was deciding to do so. Tell me, little cub, do you know why?”

    Lucki was quiet. The entire room was quiet.

    “Because,” the sorceress sneered, twisting that green furred face into such a horrific glare, “She knew that HE still loved HER. And that he would not dare attack his 'little girl.' She knew the limitations that this disgusting love gives you and make no mistake, she will exploit the Hell out of it.” She narrowed her eyes, internally wishing she could stare down that snotty cub, “If your race had any sense, it would do the same!”

    The squire said both mentally and physically, "Let's just agree to disagree cuz, Lady, we will NEVER understand yer motives." With that said, Lucki added, “So, it’s your mother in Emi. Fine. How do we fight her?”

    It was impossible to not see the tensing of Lucki’s body, of the spirit within him withdrawing. Oh, the emotions that erupted from her at that point. So much disgust, anger but fear. Lots of fear. Fear that she tried horribly to hide. It was transparent even through a face that was not her own! Lucki’s mind was being bombarded with so many things and they flew so fast, so quickly. He grasped the sides of his head, wincing, “Ow…ow…” Turning from his position, he buried his face into Gumlittle’s nearby chest, focusing his energy back on getting Lady Bane to settle.

     _Lady! Stop it. You knew we were gonna hafta fight her!_ Lucki snarled at her _You said you would help us!_

     _It is not a simple thing!_ The sorceress replied. _You are speaking like this is a minor thing! She can—_

     _You’re just being a coward!_ He accused. _We don’t have time for that!_

     _I am not being a coward, I am being realistic._ She countered, snarling _. You did not grow up with her. I did._

    Lucki drew himself back to the present and spoke out to the room, “She’s panicking.” He reported simply, gently pulling from Gumlittle. “She’s afraid.”

    Wrenching control of his mouth back, the sorceress snarled, “I am not afraid, I am simply being cautious. Mother is clever, sneaky. She is patient.” That had always been mother’s strongest point, her patience. It had proven so lethal though and yet it was always something she had struggled with. “She has probably already devised a plan. It is not as simple as fighting her. She will not have spent all that time in that prison without coming up with numerous angles, plans. She is too clever for that.”

    Lucki fought back, grasping control of his mouth again, “So that means you have to help us, Lady! You gotta talk to us! Are you gonna just cower and not do anything? Like you did with Jason?”

    Oh, she tensed, “I…will….never…be…that…helpless…again.” She ground out through Lucki’s clenched teeth. Teeth clenched so tight that it made his jaw ache. Lucki knew he’d struck a nerve. Good!

    "You don't wanna feel that helpless again? Then don't. Don't hide from your feelings. Use 'em! Stop bein' a little bane in everyone's backsides, lady, and use whatcha got. Ya want out? Fine. Then do what needs to be done an' stop yer bellyachin'. We all lost people. We're sick of it. So we're not gonna let it happen again. Either help us or get outta our way." The Glen leader’s sharp tone left little room for argument.

    Those words... "Get out of my way"... The last time she'd heard them, fear froze her. But not this time. No... Oddly enough, they... they awoke a little fire in her. And not that old flame Mother had extinguished at Jason's death. No. This was something... new. This was... Damn, what was it?

    Internally, Lucki snorted at Lady Bane's confused surprise. _Don't always have to name it. Just use it! Personally, I like to call it guts._

    It made sense to gummies of course but such gumption, such strength in the face of poor odds, was completely out of Lady Bane's realm of expertise or trust. She trusted magic. She trusted herself. She trusted no one and nothing else. Which led her to a single conclusion in the upcoming battle. And, yes, there would indeed be a battle. Whether she wanted to be a part of it or not was irrelevant. It was coming and she would be yanked right into the middle of it. Somehow, she knew that, as she knew she would never be able to defeat her mother like this.

     _I... I need my body back. I can't fight her while inside you. You're always resisting, even if you don't do it intentionally. I'm much more powerful inside my own beautiful body. I must have it back._

    Lucki was taken aback by her sudden request. For once, it wasn't a scheme. He could tell now, being around her foul soul for so long. She was telling the truth. _So, where'd you stash it?_

    Suspicious at first, she paused before asking, _You would help me, knowing I will turn on you at the very earliest opportunity?_

     _We don't always like our alliances, Bane, but sometimes we just don't have a choice. I know we need you. You know it. So let's get to it. Where did you put your body?_

* * *

 

  **_Tavi’s Prison_**

    Tavi’s feelings of lostness generated around the two souls. She was grateful to not be alone but what was she to do now? She was still imprisoned and her visitor had no means of getting her out. Did she even have a right to? After all, with what she had unleashed? Was it better and _just_ for her to just linger her? But then, what if there was time to save those she cared for? Desperation and sickness of the heart poured over her like a thunderous downpour and her grandfather spoke out softly, fearing he might lose her again. “Child, the way out lies with you.” He stroked her face, as much as spirits could, “And you possess the best chance against Emi we have had in quite some time.”

    Tears filling her sight, Tavi eyed him but the elder bear quickly added, "You truly do not understand the kind of ability you possess, do you?" He shook his head, smiled gently again, "My dear child, just like Emi is so lethal because of her abilities, so are you but you can dictate what side you stand on." He frowned, took hold of her hands, "Tell me, little one, what is the purpose of the medallions?"

    Taken aback, Tavi wrinkled her brow, wondering what purpose such a question carried for her current situation. Nevertheless, she answered, "It lets us do gummi magic..."

    Shaking his head, the bear corrected her, "No, it helps us to CONTROL gummi magic."

    Eyes huge, Tavi inquired "B-but, we have to have a medallion to do gummi magic."

    Shaking his head a second time, her grandfather corrected her gently, "No. We don't. The medallions did not create gummi magic, gummi magic created the medallions. The medallions make the process easier. Over time, the hard focus and concentration and spiritual dedication needed to tap into magic became misconstrued as inability. The first magicians had no medallions. Our first attempts at magic were...messy. Injuries, far more power than we wanted to deal with nor believed we should have been entrusted with. The medallions not only made the power easier to find and utilize but also limited how much we could pull out at once."

    His eyes kind, he spoke gently, "Tavi, dear daughter of my daughter, think. While, yes, you were tricked, a simple touch from you was strong enough to shatter a bond created by twenty wizards. Emi simply has learned how to pull magic when one is close enough. It was YOUR power that cracked and destroyed that seal. All without your conscious thought. Tell me, what do you think you could accomplish with training and time?" He raised a brow. “What are you capable of doing now?”

    Tavi just stared.

    "Child," he clarified, "The medallions act as a guide, like one uses a funnel or a cup to determine how much liquid to pull from a pool. Without a medallion, you have access to the entire pool."

    "But...but...humans and stuff don't have that kind of power. Why are we different?" Was that truly what made Emi so powerful? Her gummi blood?

    "Because, grandchild." The gummi explained gently. "All other magic is drawn from a source. From nature, from science, from a mysterious source," He frowned at that thought, mainly because that was how Fey used their magic and he was still not very fond of them but he smiled at her "But not with gummies. Our magic is the power created by our souls."

    Eyes nearly springing from her skull, Tavi clarified, "Y-you mean every time we do magic, we're using our SOULS to make it?"

    "Exactly."

    Bewildered and stunned, the girl was silent a long time, processing this information. "That's why this prison is based on emotion. Can't make a prison using your soul without emotions being there...and...and that's why it took some of the life of the wizards...that's why you're so tired after you do a spell...especially if it's a powerful one" Everything suddenly made so much sense!

    "Right on all accounts, smart girl." The gummi winked at her, "Also why humans, even if they manage to figure out gummi magic, can never duplicate it without a conduit like a medallion or an artifact. Imitate it yes but never actually create it. Our souls are unique in this universe, for reasons we have yet to understand. Perhaps it's best we do not understand." He grinned, adjusted the glasses on his face, "Smart girl," he said again, "Take after your mother, who obviously takes after me."

    And now he was making jokes! "But Grandfather.." She pleaded "If all that's true then why didn't this place heal Emi? Why did all this..." she motioned to the landscape that literally reflected all emotion, all memories, that literally dipped right into the soul. "not heal her?"

    The bear turned serious, "Something kept it from touching her soul. I cannot say for certain but I believe your boy Cubbi may have more insight than I."

    "Cubbi!" Tavi jerked her head around, feeling a sickening feeling in her gut. How could she have forgotten?! Her spirit screamed for her dear friend but could not locate the boy. Had he vanished entirely? Had she been so caught up in her own predicament that she had let his spirit whisk away into this dark nothingness?!  Feeling panic, she turned back to the spirit before her "Grandfather—

    "He is safe. He is back in Gummadoon, waiting for you." The bear said softly. "Cubbi had to reach out, had to bear his heart to get out. As you must." He eyed her softly, said gently, “Child it is your defeating thoughts which are your chains here. You must break free of them and the only way to do that is forgive yourself for something you are not guilty of.”

    "How..." she began to sob.

    "Sweet child, remember what I said. Our magic is in the soul. If your soul cannot escape on its own, call for aid." He sincerely wished he could tell her more but he had done all he could do. He knew Tavi knew little about him, as did most of his family. Not out of a lack of desire. Far from it. For safety. Perhaps he had been foolish to change his name. Foolish to not speak of these things when he was alive but...nothing to be done for it now. He would aid his last family member in all ways he could. Then, perhaps in time, in some way, he could unveil all he had to hide when he was alive.

    Frowning, Tavi didn't like being spoken to in riddles but she supposed even spirits had limits to what they were allowed to do. Call for aid, huh? A small piece of her still cried she deserved no aid but she forced it to be silent. Her grandfather had spoken so many things to her and she still had to save her brother. Regardless of her thoughts on herself, she had to save Lucki and she could not do so while she was trapped in here!

    She frowned again, deeper, her spirit seeping out like a liquid, seeking help, seeking aid. Like a rush of energy, like a vision, she saw her brother, felt his poor soul but it was not weak, not like she had feared. There was a power to it. A strength. She felt a twinge of something else but then it was pushed aside and she felt only her brother's strong presence and it was rushing closer and closer to her!

    The spirit of Merlinni Gummi vanished with a smile as he felt his grandson come closer, and there was more strength to him than that of a dying soul. Oh, no…that soul was _alive_.

* * *

 

**_Gummadoon Halls_ **

    Martinni paused in his patrol of the halls, hearing chattering inside the corridors. Knowing all too well about the hidden passages in the walls as well as the coming and increasing threat, he cautiously pressed into the nearby passage, slipping into the inner corridors, his muscles tensed, his nerves frayed and ready. He really didn’t know what he was expecting to do if he came across a threat but he wasn’t thinking that far ahead. In any event, it was a moot point as all he found within the hidden walls were Corvi’s little brothers.

    “Martin!” Morri greeted him after an initial jump. “You startled us!”

    The slightly older cub frowned, “Well, you were making a lot of noise.” He accused, “I came to see what it was.”

    Morri shot his toddler brother a glare, “Tol’ ya.” He had been trying to get Cori to be quieter, to walk more carefully but the three year old was having none of it. All he knew was that he was being entrusted to do something to help Big Brother! That means he approached it with so much zeal and excitement that Morri’s directions about being wary of his noise level just went right over his head. In the back of Morri’s mind, he was beginning to think that he should have taken Gori up on his offer but Cori was way too into it now, “Cori, you need be quieter!”

    Cori just stuck out his tongue, “Am quiet!”  but didn’t say anything else, aside from rushing up and hugging Martinni’s leg.

    The squire ruffled his hair a little before asking, “What are you doing here anyway, Morri?”

    The younger boy replied, “Helping out my brother. He said we needed to remember where all these passages went to.” Morri added “So Cori and I have been explorin’ them. They go everywhere! All over the place.”

    Martinni blinked in surprise “Why did he say we needed to know?”

    Morri was quiet a moment before remarked, “Just in case.”

    “In case of what?” Martinni’s voice was utterly bewildered. He had a deep feeling that this was something he should have been able to figure out but no matter how he racked his brain, nothing was coming. He knew the knights were working on the threat and that they were having a meeting right now to address it. But they would beat it! They always did! Unless… “Did Corvi tell you something else?”

    Morri shook his head “Not really. Just said that we needed to know…a way out.”

    Martinni’s eyes grew again and then went huge. “You mean…to run? To leave the city?” Impossible! Never done! Ever!

    “Corvi said he hopes we won’t need to but that it’d be stupid not to plan for it.” Morri clarified. “So Cori and I have been exploring.”

    Martinni stood there, dumbfounded another few minutes, his mind racing. The concept of abandoning Gummadoon, it was so alien! He knew his history, Gummadoon had NEVER been abandoned, never been left, never fallen! Even against the worst of odds…

     _Mind your confidence, Sprout._ Gumlittle’s lesson from weeks ago suddenly was drawn to the front of his mind. _Pride is a good thing but if it’s taken too far, it’s dangerous and the worst kind of dangerous. The worst thing a knight can do is think he’s undefeatable._

    He had just taken the lesson like he took most of his lessons—listening but not truly understanding the impact. Now, though, with all the secrets having to be uncovered due to the adults trying to “spare” them, all the adults being so frightened of admitting they were afraid, it took on an entirely new weight. The thought of the city actually falling…would they be potentially preparing for evacuation if it wasn’t a possibility? Fear taking his knees in the form of shaky muscles, the squire found that he suddenly thrust way deeper into this current dilemma than he thought was possible. What had started as wanting to be of aid was quickly turning into preparation for war. Well, that’s what he was training to be a knight for, wasn’t it?

    Taking a shaky breath, Martinni asked, “What have you found?”

    Morri laughed, a little, “That there are a LOT of passages down here. Some of them are locked, some aren’t. It’s like another city!”

    Thinking, the olive colored cub inquired, “Have you asked Flynn?”

    Blinking, Cori asked, “Flynn?” He knew the squire, though he had known him more as a page. They would play on occasion but since Flynn graduated to being a squire, they had not spent as much time together.

    Martinni nodded, “You might not know him that well but Flynn loves maps. Loves blueprints and passages and all kinds of things like that. I think he has a whole collection of gummi warrens layouts in his room. Loves to study them. Saw him making a few of his own for fun.” How that could be fun,  Martinni would never know but that wasn’t the point. “I’d betcha anything that he has something on Gummadoon’s insides.”

    “Then let’s go!” Morri replied and the group of three took off, with Cori calling “’low down! ‘Low down!”

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Meeting Room_**

    “You are putting your foot down **, now**?” Lady Bane snarled out of Lucki’s mouth. “You told me that you would be willing to lead me back to my body. Then I can be rid of you!”

    Lucki replied simply, “I didn’t say we wouldn’t,” He looked at the room before finishing, “But my sister first.” Shifting his eyes to his Captain, he stated, “You said you pulled Cubbi from the prison. How did that work? We need to get my sister out. If she’s still stuck in there, then I don’t trust this sorceress not to try something.” He did not specify if it Lady Bane he referred to or her mother inside Emi. Kinda a moot point really. He eyed the knight deeply, pleading with his eyes. “We _have_ to get her out.”

    Blastus nodded before Plucki could reply, “ _Qui_ , we must. Her power…this…creature…” he shook his head, “Much as I hate to bring it up, the creature within her has realized the kind of power she holds. She may well be in danger as we speak.”

    Plucki nodded, addressed the room, “Agreed.” He smiled at Lucki “And we must save her from that horrible place. In fact, young Lucki, you might be what she needs.”

    Blinking surprised, he asked, “Me? How? Why?”

    “Cubbi was able to pull himself from the prison because he spoke to me. Spiritually, with his soul.” Plucki thought back on that, that moment when his heart understood, knew who was calling to him. It was a moment he would never forget and it was a moment that he doubted Cubbi would ever forget either. It was as distinct and memorable as…well, as anything Plucki could bind his heart to. He seriously believed that just like the memory of Aldi’s birth would never leave his memory, that moment when Cubbi’s soul had cried out to him…that would never leave either.

    Councilor Wooddale spoke out, “Oh? Like when we appeal to our lost loved ones for connection?”

    Plucki nodded, “Yes, exactly. The prison seems to run on spiritual energy. I was able to see Cubbi though I could not touch him. But his spirit called out to me, pleaded with me.” He ignored the heart broken looks on the Glen gummies faces. “It is the emotions of the person within the prison that keep them there. It was the protection put into its making to prevent Emi from escaping while she still had ill intent—“

    “Which is why she needed my niece to break the seal on the main door,” Councilor Wooddale concluded.

    Plucki nodded “Exactly.”

    Zummi interrupted, “But…Cubbi doesn’t have those tangerous doughts..er, dangerous thoughts.” The mere thought of such a thing was inconceivable. Cubbi, while mischievous, never did anything with malice. In fact, he had such a giant heart; that was one reason he had been drawn to knighthood. If the prison held you in because of emotions, then why had Cubbi been trapped in the first place?

    Plucki nodded, “Indeed, you’re correct, my friend. It seems that self-doubt and self-blame serve the same purpose as negative thoughts towards others. I had to reassure him of our forgiveness before the prison released him through that same tapestry he had drawn our attention to.” He eyed Lucki. “I would guess that your sister is trapped by the same type of emotions, young Lucki and given her devotion to you as well as her reasoning for going in the first place, you might be just the one to reassure her.”

* * *

 

   **_Tavi’s Prison_**

    Lingering amid the misty atmosphere, Tavi lay as much as she could, taking in the comforting presence of her grandfather. While he had vanished from “sight” per say, he was still there. She could feel it.  She had her information now, at least some that she didn’t know before. Her grandfather had said that Cubbi had found some things out though he did not say what. She wanted to be back with her family. What if her family was in danger? Her fault…it was all her fault. That sickening darkness began again.

     _Focus._ She coached herself. _Lucki is…_

    “Tavi!”

    Jerking upright, she looked around as the atmosphere shifted to a flurry of lights as her emotions rushed like water. She knew that voice! Her heart leapt with joy and she felt, briefly, her grandfather smile. “Lucki!” Slowly, gradually, her brother seemed to fade in within her view, right in front of her. Pale but not the same kind of pale that he had been. He looked…well, healthy. Almost like he had looked before he died! But more important than that, it meant that he had not faded away yet! He was still alive! Oh, Gum, he was alive! “Lucki!”

    Her brother smiled gently, “Yep, it’s me, come on, sis, you hafta get out of here.”

    “How?” she demanded. “I…I can’t get out!”

    Lucki knelt, grasped her gently on the cheeks where they whipped around like mist. “The exit is right here. Feel, with your spirit.” He would have touched her if he were able but she did take heed to his words. If he said to feel with her spirit…and her grandfather had said that it was built on emotions and that magic was drawn with the soul so…she focused, keeping her eyes locked on her brother as the atmosphere shifted, solidified and then, she saw it. A simple doorway that led out of this horrible place. She could see the library beyond it!

    Rushing it, she yelped in horror as she was pushed back from her salvation. Hard. It was like hitting a wall. Tears in her eyes, she whirled “Lucki!” She accused. “It won’t let me out!”

    He nodded, simply “Not yet. Your spirit isn’t ready.”

    “Isn’t ready?” she demanded, tears running, “Why?”

    “You tell me, little sister.” He replied without missing a beat. “What is your soul yelling at you? What are you telling yourself that’s a lie? Tell me so I can yell at you for being so silly.” He gave her a gentle smile, the same smile he used to give her all the time when he caught her doing something she knew better than to do but he opted to humor her regardless. “You get it easy; Plucki was able to tell us how the prison freed Cubbi.”

    “So he IS free?” she inquired.

    A nod from her brother, “He is, and you will be too in a minute if you can focus and really listen to me.” He raised a brow at her “I know I was never your favorite teacher or lecturer…”

    “No!” she interrupted. “I…love to listen to you.” It was true, especially now. If he…if he… “What…do I needa do, Lucki?”

    The older boy replied, “The prison is built on emotion Tavi. It was designed so that Emi couldn’t escape with negative thoughts dictating her mind. But it works the same for you.” He clarified, “You’re thinking negative things about yourself and that’s what’s lockin’ you here.”

    Blinking in surprise, she gaped, “I…that’s what’s keeping me here?’

    Lucki nodded, “Yep. So, spill, little sister. Talk to me.”

    So nonchalant, like him dying had not happened. Like him dying AGAIN wasn’t going to happen. Her breath caught briefly in her throat but she managed to respond, “I…I was an idiot Lucki! Emi tricked me! I cost you time,  energy! I let her loose on our race! It’s MY fault! _I’m_ the one that let her break out of her prison! And …and I still can’t cure you!” Tears running now and a fierce rain began. “I can’t lose you again! Not again and not like that! I failed you!” Her anger at her own ineptitude surrounded them in the form of raining fire—sadness and anguish mixed into one.

    Shaking his head, Lucki replied, “Is that what this is about?” He asked softly, “Tavi, first off…you and Cubbi were tricked because Emi knows how to play you. She’s old, older than we thought, and you learn to read and manipulate people’s emotions over time. See, if this prison works the same way that the spirit world works, you can always watch. I think that’s what she’s been doing all this time.  Watching, observing, waiting. Using my situation and what you went through to move us like she wants.” He locked sight with her, kept his voice stern but kind, “This is NOT your fault, Tavi!”

    He remembered very little of the spirit world to be frank though he found that as Lady Bane’s control faltered, his memories of it grew. Not in any distinct way though, it was more like he remembered being at peace, feeling completely relaxed and feeling the all too familiar spirits of his parents and deeper than that, the feeling of love—of people he did not know and yet his spirit recognized as family, as comfort. It was similar to what he felt here. There was a spirit here, a presence that he didn’t know and yet his soul recognized whole heartedly as good and as family. Someone had come to comfort his sister. It gave his heart a leap.

    As he focused so intently on his sister, that odd yet familiar sensation, that tickling at his senses, made him look just off point of her. He never expected to actually SEE anyone but, just slightly out of focus, just slightly visible, was a very wise-looking gummi. Dark blue in coloring, least as much as he could tell, with hair long since whitened and old glasses upon his nose. Lucki’s memory raced, trying to place the face. He knew it. It was so blurry and faded with time but he knew him!

    Long ago…right after Tavi was born. He was young, barely four and pestering to see his new baby sister. His mother and his Aunt Toffi was there, his father was there. And yes, sitting in a chair, clutching a cane as his hands shook with age, that same old gummi, with that gentle smile as he lifted young Lucki up to better see his new sibling.

     _Grandfather?_ He inquired silently, seemingly only at the elder gummi though, could you direct thoughts like that here? Odd thing but given the spiritual nature of this place…perhaps it was like using a whisper.

    A gentle nod was his only reply before his attention was drawn back to his sister once more.

    Tears still staining her face, Tavi eyed her sibling, “Not my fault? But I was the one who let her out…”

    Lucki rolled his eyes, “She used your power to break the seal. She knew you would do whatever you needed to do to save me. Tell me, sis, did you think you were releasing Emi or did you think you were helping me?”

    Head down slightly, the young sorceress replied, “Thought it was gonna help free Concordia so we could save you.” She admitted, “But then…it felt like something just ripped at my insides. Then I was so tired and so worn and so scared….”

    Lucki nodded, stroked his sister’s hair, “See? And who do you think did the ripping?”

    Head down, she said “Emi?”

    “Uh huh.” Lucki replied. “And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to help me, sis. Wish you’d thought it through a little more…” he admitted and then smiled, “But I’m not mad at you, no one is.”

    “But Emi’s free…” she began.

    “And that isn’t your fault.” He reminded her. “She used you.” Here, his eyes turned dark, the kind of dark that Tavi used to see occasionally if it seemed like someone was picking on her or teasing her, even if it was playful. “And she isn’t going to get away with that.” Tightening his grip, as much as a non-tangible grip could be, Lucki added, “And we’re gonna need your help for that Sis. _I_ forgive you. So forgive yourself.”

    For a moment more, she just stared at her brother. Stared and stared before caving into tears and burrowing herself into his chest. Burrowing herself so hard and so quickly that the harsh light and odd shifting feeling scarcely made a lick of difference to her.


	52. Chapter 52

**_Gummadoon Halls_ **

    “See?” Flynn pointed, grinning, “These lead to the lower levels but they’re all twisty and curvy that no one really likes to use them. That’s why they kinda shut them away behind the walls.” Flynn grinned as he gazed down the curving stairwell, disappearing into the dark abyss that was Gummadoon’s underbelly. “Man, I can’t believe I finally getta explore these things!” He beamed, eyeing his group of travel companions. “I mean…they always told us to stay outta these areas and now we getta go down them?”

    Morri nodded, “We hafta find all the exits and see where all these tunnels go. You say there’s an exit down there?”

    Flynn nodded “Yep. See, the builders made sure there were lots of exits, cause Gummadoon was a simple fort when it first started. So, lotsa gummies would stop here and that was when we had all kindsa enemies. So, these exits used to be the original exits. But as the city grew up around it, they added more walls and stuff and instead of gettin’ rid of all these halls and stuff, they decided to just hide ‘em in case they needed them.” Flynn grinned widely. He was quite proud of his knowledge of maps and gummi cities in general. His father and mother were both deeply involved in gummi politics, in the communication between warrens and cities. Part of that was understanding the layout and purpose of each city they visited and his mother made sure that he knew Gummadoon the best, after all, he lived here.

    To her delight, he’d found it fascinating and was always wanting to know where other warrens were, how the other cities looked and all the little details. He would draw up his own gummi cities in his spare time but he was well versed in where their other cities and dens were. He knew where South Gumpton was, where Gummi Glen was, where Ursalia was, and even where Barbic Woods now was, though he had a more general idea on that one whereas he had exact figures on the others. Still, it was one thing to know things and another thing entirely to actually get to explore them.

    As Flynn took his first step down the twisting stairwell, he turned, hearing footsteps behind them.

    Martinni heard it too and without thinking, pushed Morri and Cori behind him so that he stood in front of their group of three. Morri did give him a slightly exasperated glance but opted not to argue it right now. Much as he disliked the fact, he was not yet trained and Martinni was. If there was something dangerous approaching, Martinni was more equipped to handle it than he was. All the same, he kept a hand on Cori and made sure Flynn was behind him as well, even though they were the same age. In fact, Flynn might have been a month or two older. No matter, he’d show he was just as worthy to protect as they were!

    Gradually, the sound approaching grew louder and louder and the shadowy figure gradually faded into view.

    Flynn beamed, “Cubbi!”

    Sure enough, it was the pink furred squire, looking determined but exhausted. In fact, it looked like he was just wearing night clothes…no, strike that, he was wearing KNIGHT clothes, one of Plucki’s off-day tunics it looked like. He was barefoot and the tunic draped down to his knees. He didn’t look hurt or anything but he looked like he was going to fall asleep any second and yet at the same time, he looked more alert than any of them! He was clutching something tight to his chest but he looked utterly relieved to see someone he knew.

    “Flynn, Martinni!” he called in response and approached, blinking and then inquiring, “Morri and Cori?” He’d only met Corvi’s brothers recently but they had to be Corvi’s brothers. One, he did recognize them though he didn’t know if he got their names right and two, well, they totally looked like Corvi! The little one almost to the letter and the older one just had different colored hair. Plus, if they were with Martinni and Flynn, then they had to be Corvi’s brothers. They sure weren’t any of the pages. A nod from the eldest of the two golden colored cubs confirmed his suspicions.

    Martinni let out a deep sigh of relief. “Cubbi, what are you doing here? Looks like you’re supposed to be resting. Plucki’ll be mad if you got up.” He had been kept fairly out of the loop and Toni hadn’t really updated him with any info. It was a little irritating that Toni was being kept in the know more than he was, especially since Martinni was older but there had to be a reason. Cubbi and Corvi, he could understand. They’d been roped into it. But Toni had entered into it when the rest of them had…

    No point in being jealous. He needed to focus on what they were doing now, what they could do now.

    Cubbi stepped forward, closing the distance between them. “Can’t sleep. Something’s gonna happen soon and I…needed to get something.” Turning attention away from him, he asked, “What are you guys doing? Don’t usually find people just wandering around the passages.”

    Morri spoke out, “Corvi asked us to look through the passages and see what paths led where.” He eyed Cubbi; he didn’t know him very well but seemed like a lot of stuff seemed to revolve around him. So, the fact that he was involved was a good thing! “Said we might need to know them if we need to evacuate the city.”

    Martinni bit his lower lip, “I doubt the knights will let it come to that but we needa be safe, just in case. So, we’ve been exploring where the tunnels and passages go, marking down the ones that we don’t know by heart.” The olive colored cub frowned, “Which is a lot more than we thought there were.”

    Flynn puffed out his chest. “That’s where _I_ come in.”

    Martinni clarified, “Flynn knows all about the passages in here. He even has some of them written down. So, we figure if anyone could lead us to all the exits, it would be him.”

    Flynn added, “If we can get in them though. I mean, there’s exits into the courtyard, into the marketplace, even into the dungeon…”

    Morri blinked, “Come again? Why would there be passages into the dungeon?”

    “Well, not the cells but into the main area where the guards are. But my point is that you don’t just leave those doors open,” He shrugged. He  hoped they would be able to find some exits that weren’t sealed but the fact of the matter was, if they had been designed from long ago and then sealed away into the inner walls, the leaders of the city were not dumb enough to leave entrances open, even entrances that hardly anyone knew about. “…even if you think you’re hiding things good-“

    “Well,” Martinni corrected. Everyone ignored him.

    Cubbi paused, just a moment then asked, “Will this help?” He uncovered his hands, revealing a large golden key with the Gummadoon insigna on its handle. It had been right where he had left it. It had taken some time to find the thing, simply because there were so many twisty passages but he’d found it. Now, hopefully, he’d get some use out of the thing!

    Flynn’s eyes went huge. “No….way….a master key? You have a master key?” Gum, he’d seen pictures of one but never up close! Blastus had never even shown them one! He knew that there were only a few but to see one up close! “Did Plucki give it to you?” If Plucki had given it to Cubbi, man, he musta really trusted him!

    Shaking his head, Cubbi replied, “Uh uh, found it in one of the passages a while ago.” Pausing, again, he asked, “Will it help?”

    Flynn practically yanked his arm out of its socket in his rush for the stairwell, “You betcha! This thing’ll open any door in the city! Let’s go, let’s go!”

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Entryway_**

    Tavi eyed her brother. He gave her a worried glance, “Tavi, if you needa rest, I can handle this. I think I have a handle on this witch.” He ignored the snarling and hissing voice within him, declaring her superiority and how his entire race would never have a ‘handle’ on her. “You’re exhausted.” His sister was free, at least, but the soaking wet and exhausted girl that had emerged from that tapestry was so drained. So weak. And yet, typical of her, she had insisted that she strive on ahead, that she meet with the others, that she start working on what they needed to do.

    Hence, here they were, saddled up on one of the mares, with a small group of adults eyeing them warily.

    Tavi shook his head, turned to her aunt who was standing next to them on the ground as they steadied the unicorn. “Uh uh, we don’t have time for it. I already cost us enough time…” She was exhausted, deeply, beyond anything she had ever felt before. It had taken all she had to stay conscious when her aunt and the others had rushed in. Her aunt had been adamantly against her going but she had insisted. Oh, she had to be caught up on so much, most notably that Lady Bane was inside her brother. Despite all their attempts to be sure, Lady Bane had managed to stay undetected and was currently running her poor brother ragged.

    No more. The blasted sorceress had even said she wanted out! Well, Tavi would gladly THROW her out and going with her brother was going to make sure that witch didn’t try anything!

    Now, while she knew she NEEDED to go, HAD to go, especially when Lady Bane’s treachery had been explained to her, she was so worn. While gummies refused normally to use magic or any other method to deny what the body needed, especially sleep, in this case, Tavi saw a reason to make an exception. Using magic to keep herself upright, at least for now, was a necessary evil. Sleep was unfortunately a luxury right now, not a right. She almost laughed at the irony of it; didn’t this whole mess start when Cubbi was using magic lotion to hide the fact that he wasn’t sleeping? Now, it was reversed and she was the one forcing wakefulness. Fate had a weird sense of humor.

    She shifted slightly, took some support from her brother behind her.

    Her brother…

    She was not going to leave her brother and she certainly wasn’t going to let him go without some magic to help him! And that stupid witch had already tried to trick them once! Leave her brother alone with her…er, technically speaking…no way! The desire to protect and save her sibling was stronger than ever and she used it to pull some more of that strength from her spirit, from her soul. After her grandfather had explained it to her, it seemed to make so much more sense and now, she was completely willing to use it. If her soul could give her enough strength to press onward, she would!

    “Tavi,” It was Sir Plucki that spoke up this time, stepping forward to lay a hand on her arm, “Lass, you have cost us nothing. We are thrilled to simply have you back among us. That prison is draining, emotionally and when your emotions are drained, your body follows. You have been through a lot. If you need to rest, you may. I can send one of the knights with Lucki.” He eyed the boy, saying, “I may do that, regardless.” It was a risky thing, sending him for Lady Bane’s body alone but-

    Lucki shook his head sharply “Uh uh, Sir Plucki. You’re gonna need all the forces here. You know that and I know that.” He eyed the knight, said, “Besides, we’re just gonna find her body, have her leave me and then high tail it. And if we run into trouble, Gumlittle’s trained me well.” He eyed his mentor with his same confident grin, “And I promise, I won’t do anything too reckless.”

    Gumlittle sighed, deeply. “I dunno.” He addressed Plucki more than Lucki. “He’s still…at risk.”

    Lucki bit his lip, “Maybe not, ‘Little,” he challenged and his sister eyed him deeply. “I mean, I’m starting to feel different. It doesn’t feel like I’m one of two spirits in a sea anymore. It’s more…well, almost like I’m slipping into clothes that are a little big.” He eyed his sister, “I can’t explain it but something’s different but I think it’s a good different.”

    Plucki eyed the young squire with a critical eye. “Still, Troggels, while hardly as difficult to deal with as ogres or trolls, are not mere opponents. Perhaps Sir Fai may be willing.”

    “Uh uh!” Lucki insisted again, “Sir Plucki, a group of knights will attract attention! We don’t have time for that and we don’t want Emi’s attention being drawn to us. She’s a lot less likely to pay attention to two kids than to a group of trained fighters.”

    The Captain frowned, crossing his arms, “You have a point, Lucki but there is still the threat of danger for the two of you.” He allowed a small smile, adding “I do not doubt your skills, my boy. However, you are still just learning and if I recall, Gumlittle had not yet begun you on real weapons training.”

    The green furred cub eyed his mentor, “Not my fault.” He teased lightly. “I know the basics from the practice weapons. I can handle myself.” He eyed his sister “And Tavi is no push-over!”

    Tavi spoke out, “I can protect him, Gumlittle. I’m not letting anything happen to him!” She meant it. She was weakened, tired but she had just gotten her brother back. He wasn’t out of danger yet but now she was free and she could help! How, she really didn’t know but Lucki had given her some hope. He wasn’t the type to lie to her just to make her feel better. If he said that something felt different in a good way, then it did! “We can handle anything that’s thrown our way and we don’t have time to argue about this!”

    Lucki closed his eyes a moment and then Lady Bane, though it was clear Lucki was allowing her access to his mouth, spoke out, “Your brats are right. We are wasting time. My mother is clever. The moment she sees knights traveling, it’s going to attract her attention like flies to honey. If you want to keep your twerps safe, then send them alone.”

    Lucki took control back, quickly, “Besides, I can handle her. I know how to command her now.” He stiffened a moment but Lady Bane, despite her screeching about his lies was unable to take control back without his permission. He waited a moment then spoke to the group of adults, “See? Much as she hates it, this is MY body, not hers. If she wants to try something, she’s going to have to push past my spirit to do it.” He frowned, seriously, “And I’m not about to let that happen.”

    Tavi spoke out, “Look, Lady Bane is dangerous but Lucki knows about possession and he knows how to control her now.” She took a breath, “And I’ve learned a lot about possession and magic in that prison. We can handle ourselves. We’ll do what we hafta do and then be back, promise!”

    Plucki eyed Wooddale who gave a silent but knowing nod. “Unfortunately, our options are limited.” The sorceress stated simply. “Go quickly Lucki. If there is any hint of betrayal…”

    “If there is,” he assured her, “It won’t come until after she leaves me.” He was certain of that. “She wants her body back. She knows if she tries to pull anything before she gets her body back, she’s stuck with me.” He turned his eyes dark, serious. “And she’s bound to what my body falls subject to.”

    “Yes.” Lady Bane spoke out of his voice, snarling, “We’ve established that.”

    “So, let me make it crystal clear for you.” Lucki replied back, ignoring the worried glances he was getting. “You try anything against my sister…against my family…against my race. You’re bound to my body, Lady Bane. Remember that.” He turned the unicorn, gave it a quick nudge to the sides which caused it to take off at a run. He wanted to get away from the group before any of them connected the dots to what he was threatening, promising. He meant every word of it but he didn’t want to see those faces…

    As soon as the group of adults and Gummadoon vanished behind them, Lucki felt his sister slump, backward, laying against him, her eyes shut within an instant. Gum, she must have been hanging on by a thread during that meeting! He watched her a moment, closed his arms a bit closer together as he held the reigns. She was exhausted. She should have been resting but instead this mess and Emi and everything were making her force her body onward when it was not ready for it. His big brother instincts flared and he sat up a little taller, urged the horse a little faster.

    And as for Lady Bane…

    He finished addressing the sorceress inside his mind. That was getting harder and harder to do but he didn’t want anyone, least of all his little sister, hearing his promise to this sorceress. _You attack them, you try ANYTHING like you did before and I’ll take you out myself._

    Oh, she laughed _Silly child, you think—_

     _Don’t think I won’t._ He snarled in reply with such a cold seriousness to his tone that she felt a chill. _If you try to hurt any of them, try ANYTHING, I’ll…extinguish this body and drag you down to death with it._ He paused, feeling her fear, rock solid fear for a moment. _Check my memories if you don’t think I’ll do it. To protect them, I will. I’ve felt death. I know what it.._

     _You’ll destroy your own soul if you try it, child._ She challenged. Her tone was strong but deep in her spirit, she felt a slight tremor that he would not be threatening such a thing if he was not prepared to fulfill it.

    Lucki laughed this time _. I don’t think so. Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t think so. You’ve felt it, I know it. The way my body is reacting better to my soul. The way my soul is taking control back. The way I’m not bruising like I was. That’s a symbol of something._ He could be wrong but something, something deep in him told him that he wasn’t, that what he felt was truthful.

     _You’re telling me that you’re suggesting that YOU are the first to be successfully resurrected?_ Lady Bane snorted, scoffed. _By what measure do you think that YOU…of all the creatures in this world…would be deemed worthy of it?!_

    Lucki shrugged, _No worthiness necessary. I don’t know a lot about magic, that’s my sister’s department. I really don’t understand how this resurrection stuff works. I only know what I feel and it feels like my soul and body are rejoining, becoming one again but without all the supposed nasty side effects. Maybe it’s how you did it?_

    Oh, she was livid. _You think that I…willingly…would resurrect one you accursed bears? I resurrected you for my purposes, nothing more!_

     _Oh, I know that. I didn’t say you did it on purpose._ He retorted as Gummadoon vanished behind them. _I betcha never even thought it was a possibility._

     _You’re saying,_ she stated again, slowly, evenly _That your soul and body are rejoining without any prior planning having been put into a spell to make them do so? That it was just pure dumb luck?!_

     _Well,_ he teased lightly, _I seem to have a knack for that._

* * *

 

   **_Gummadoon Sick Bay_**

    The room was empty and quiet when the sorceress’ spirit returned in full. As always, Emi’s spirit was sobbing, begging. After so long, it was easy to block her out. With the spells in place, her invasion was begun. It would only be a matter of minutes before her first wave of ‘helpers’ arrived from the graveyard. In the meantime, she need only summon them and the stone statues would spring to life and do her bidding. Her thoughts were on a personal attack however. She knew the knights were near, most likely preparing. She wanted to make her point and be crystal clear about it.

    “Sarrika..” she called out in a worn, shaky version of Timothi’s voice. The healer was quick to respond, emerging from her nearby private study.

    Kneeling next to the bed, she asked, “Tim, how are you doing? How is your leg feeling?”

    “Like it’s broken.” Came the slightly sarcastic reply and Sarrika allowed a smile.

    “I suppose that is a fair answer. Do you need something for pain?” she inquired.

    Shaking his head, Timothi sat up, at least half way. “My Captain, I need to speak to my Captain.” He tried to swing his good leg over. “Just get me a crutch or something.”

    “Absolutely not!” Sarrika practically roared. “You are in no condition to go down the halls, especially not right now.”

    “Sarrika!” he protested. “I can’t stay here, not when Sarrani’s out there! I need to tell Plucki what I saw, what I know! It’s vital!” He leaned on the wall and gently pushed Sarrika off with his left arm, “Sarrika, I need to talk to him and I need to talk to him now! You can’t keep me in here until my leg heals anyway. That would take weeks. You don’t keep your patients confined to sick bay for a broken limb.”

    “No,” she admitted, crossing her arms, “But I _do_ keep them confined until the leg at least has some time to rest and at bare minimum begin the healing process.”

    Timothi groaned, grabbed his hair in frustration. “Sarrika, let me debrief with my Captain, that’s all I’m asking. Then I’ll gladly lay here until you say otherwise.” He grasped one of counters and pushed himself to a stand. “But if you don’t let me, I’m just going to keep trying to leave.” He eyed her “And I know you can’t keep me knocked out indefinitely.”

    “Gum if I could…” she began, eyes shifted skyward but she replied, “Tim, Plucki is meeting with the others right now. On the first floor. In one of those jammed meeting rooms. Surely I don’t need to tell you how difficult and risky it is for you to take the stairs right now.”

    The knight sighed but inwardly, the sorceress beamed. A first floor meeting room was all she needed to know. That fact that it was small told her that they might not have warded the doors, counting on secrecy instead for their defense.  She let the body lapse, sink onto the bed in defeat. “Can you…at least…tell him to come up here and talk to me as soon as he’s able.”

    Grateful to hear reason, the healer smiled warmly, “THAT I can do. I’ll go right now provided you agree not to try and jump about.”

    “Deal.”

    The healer had scarcely vanished from the room when the entity within Emi, currently wearing a copy of Timothi’s skin, waved her hand and muttered a few forgotten words that resealed the broken fragments of bone together and she rose without a word, shedding the cast as if it were dead skin. It was so costly to heal bones that quickly and it created pain but she had no need to keep up her façade anymore. This foolish gummi woman was going to lead her right to her prey! With skills acquired over millennia of life, she pursued the healer.

    Now was the time.

* * *

 

     ** _Gummadoon Meeting Hall_**

    “You hadda ‘nother reason for sending those two away.” Gruffi spat out once they gathered in their makeshift room. “Aside from what the kids said. You wouldn’t risk not sending a knight with them if you didn’t have another reason.” He eyed Plucki, “Even with as much sense as the two of them were makin’.” It was more than what was said, it was the way Plucki said, the way he walked, the swiftness to his motions. Gruffi had been a leader long enough to see ulterior motives.

    “You’re right,” Plucki admitted simply. “I did. We needed to get Tavi away. As much as I wish we could simply hide her away like I did for Cubbi while she recovered, she is ripe with magic. Emi…or the woman inside of her…is drawn to it like maggots to a wound. No matter what we did to try and mask it, she would have found Tavi.”

    Sunni frowned, “That’s what she’s always been after? Magic? Then why…did she kill all those gummies? I mean, she killed gummies in warrens that had no magic or at least not as much…unless I’m wrong about my history.” She had recognized some of the warrens they’d mentioned in those translations. Some of them had been warrens like South Gumpton, focused on other things besides the magical arts. She supposed she could have been wrong as she know most gummi clans had SOME form of magic but she didn’t think she had misheard or misinterpreted.

    “No, _mon ami_ ,” Blastus assured her “You’re correct. She had no reservations on what warrens she attacked.”

    “But…” Sunni deepened her frown, admitting that her heart began to beat a wee bit faster. “Then why aren’t you warning all the other clans? The newly formed cities? Ursalia? The Barbics?” she found her voice heighted a bit at the end there. “Least the other cities know about magic, the Barbics don’t use it at all.”

    Gruffi scoffed, “Against their barbaric ways, I’m guessin’?”

    Sunni narrowed her eyes at him and snapped, “They prefer to keep things simple. Things they understand. They have learned about nature, about surviving. That’s where their strength is. They view magic as cheating. But you wouldn’t want them falling victim to Emi, Gruffi, I know you.” Her tone was sharp, sharper than he was used to but that fire was very familiar to the Glen patriarch. He just wasn’t used to it being directed at him.

    Gruffi sighed, responded, “No, sweetie. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” He eyed the knights, especially Plucki, “Sunni’s got a point. Why haven’t you warned the other warrens yet?”

    “That,” Wooddale answered “Was our next order of business. Sir Plucki told me that it seems Emi’s plans will be different this time around.”

    Gumlittle nodded, “And I agree, Councilor.” He turned to the room, “Fellow gummies, Emi was out for magic before and while she still, no doubt, desires it, her thoughts will be on revenge. Gummadoon is a prime target. After all, it houses the knights that captured her.”

    Plucki cut in “And young Cubbi confided to me that most of the deaths in her first reign of attacks were simply to break the real Emi’s spirit.”

    Grammi paled. “Land sakes…you mean, all those gummies, all those warrens…were just to make the poor girl give up?”

    Plucki nodded solemnly “So it seems. The magical artifacts gathered were a goal as well but not her primary one. So, that is something we need to keep in mind. While magical warrens will without question be her next target, we are her first.” He eyed the room, “That leads to our next task…”

    Zummi spoke out, “If I may, my fummi griends..er, gummi friends…now that Lady Bane is not necessary to be included, should we not move our talks to a warded room?” He didn’t want to admit that he felt ill at ease otherwise. While magical wards were not perfect, they could certainly provide some warning or protection. Before, with Lucki’s presence necessary, they had not been able to use a room with them but now, it seemed only right to move their group into a more secure room. Secrecy was one thing but…

    Toni, who had been quiet for a time, blinked. “Hey, this book is acting funny!”

    Oh, that got everyone’s attention. Sure enough, the book was humming, a bright blue color. Toni blinked, staring as the words rushed across the pages in rapid sequence and in sharp font. “She’s…here.” Before he could even react to what he had read, the book hummed again before vanishing from his arms, literally disappearing in the air. Less than a moment later, the door to the room, creaked, just slightly and all nearly passed out from relief when it was just Sarrika who entered.

    “Apologies, Captain. Sir Timothi insisted…”

    Before she could continue, a harsh light behind her sent her sprawling to the left, collapsed, with a harsh burn on her back but alive. From directly behind her, Sir Timothi entered the chamber. But, oh, it was not the Timothi they knew. No, for as soon as he entered, the hair darkened, grew, the color of the fur shifted, the broad shoulders thinned. And Sir Timothi was gone.

    In his place, stood Emi Gummi.

    “Such a pleasure, as always, gummies.” She snarled before her magic erupted into such a shower of lights and attacks that chaos could only be used to describe the results. Tables were overturned, to be used as make shift shields. Sir Horli, closest to the door, was the first to strike at her, as best he could but before he even got near to her, she directed a surge of power into him that sent him into the nearby wall, still smoking and twitching when he fell. It was clear, he would not rise again.

    Gusto, to the left, held little Toni close to his chest, but as always, the artist was thinking outside the box. As Emi prepared another attack, he told the cub, “See Horli?” The little cub was shaking and no doubt looking at a smoking dead knight was the last thing he wanted to do but he nodded. Gusto hissed, “He knocked a hole through the wall. You can see some of the hall. You’re a squirt. Run, squeeze through it and run.”

    “Wh..where do I go?” he sobbed. Emi was here! The knights were in danger and Sir Horli…Sir Horli was DEAD!

    “Anywhere but here.” Gusto said simply. “Now go!”

    Toni, to his credit, knew when to listen and his skills for being obedient during a crisis had been well honed. He darted around the table and ran. He could feel Emi’s eyes on him, felt that horrible coldness but he never felt an attack. He could hear the other knights roaring, attacking, spells being chanted. And whatever was happening, it was enough for him to push through the broken stone and wood and into the hall unharmed. It cut up his left arm horribly but he got out. And he ran. He ran as hard as he could, his heart pounding in his chest, pounding so horribly hard that he could hear it in his ears.

    He didn’t know if the crying was him or the others.

     

    “You must go, now!”

    Corvi stared at his mentor, his eyes wide as they barely dodged another blow from Emi, Blastus knocking his squire to the floor and using his own body as a barrier. “But Blastus…”

    “That’s an order, Corvus!” The knight hissed sharply. “Go! There is a passage entry to the right, you know that. Use it and go!”

    Fear seeping from every ounce of his being, he managed, “W..what about you?” The poor cub looked petrified, fear literally running off him in waves and his eyes were wet with tears. Emi was approaching and she was taking her sweet time doing it. This was FUN for her! More than that, he saw…well, it was hard to say what was coming into the room but he heard screaming in the halls and there were shadowed figures walking past Emi and towards them. They moved slow, but there were a lot of them. Gummi-like, he could at least tell that but they didn’t seem to react to magic at all! The Council was firing back, magically, but Emi seemed to have an answer for everything they tried at her and her little…helpers or whatever they were, just plain weren’t effected! But, leaving Blastus? How could he do that?!

    “We’ll survive, little lamb,” Blastus assured his squire. “Somehow or another. But you have to get away!” He pushed Corvi towards the hidden passage entrance, giving him a sharp swat to ensure he kept moving. “Go!”

    With little else to do but obey, the teenager lunged for the entrance only to yelp in pain as something snagged him and snagged him hard by the hair. Turning, slightly, he yelled aloud. It was not Emi but…GUM!

    A corpse…a literal…walking corpse. With bones and dripping flesh and fur and …ugh! THESE were Emi’s helpers? Literal walking dead?! He felt sick to his stomach and the bony fingers dug into his hair sharp and hard, tugging, trying to pull him back into the fray, towards Emi…

    Pulling out the knife that Blastus had gifted him (and he had not returned) the teen swiped, hard, severing his long golden hair at a horrible angle. With its grip destroyed, the corpse tumbled back and Corvi darted into the secret passage, loose hairs falling over his face. As he practically leaped into the passage, he spied one of the others, within arm reach of the entryway, crouched behind one of the half broken tables, slowly trying to crawl towards an exit. Without bothering to even see who they were, he snagged them by the arm and pulled them into the passageway, slamming the door shut hard behind them. He did not stop, he kept moving, yanking his companion along the way.

    Glancing behind him finally, he saw it was that yellow furred girl. She looked as scared and spooked as he felt but her face, while contorted in horror, sorrow and agony, had a fire and determination to it that just might keep her alive. He kept a good grip on her hand and ran. He ran hard and fast. He did not ask questions, did not listen to her screeching questions, just ran.

    “The others…hafta…find the others…”

     

    They were beaten.

    The Council lay unconscious. Sir Horli was dead, Sir Quimbi knocked out. Yet, it seemed that Emi was not trying to kill them. Gumlittle supposed it should not have surprised him. She liked to make people suffer and just killing them, just killing the people who had trapped her for 500 years would not have been sufficient. With all their preparation, all their defenses, they had all failed. How had…how could…they had let her walk in! She had used the skin of one of their own against them! What of the REAL Sir Timothi?

    Grammi and Gruffi were huddled together, held immobile by a handful of the Emi’s conjured helpers. Her…walking dead…literally. Gummi corpses, some fresh, some old, moving under some magical power. Oh, the looks of disgust and revulsion circled the room and Gruffi in particular looked as if he was going to be come violently ill the longer he looked upon them. How dark and low could Emi seep? To use those who had already departed this world and…

    Gumlittle and his two brothers were yanked forward, magically and brought face to face with her. With Emi. Oh, that look. That devious…devious…look. What was she planning…what was…

    “Quite rude of you, Knights of Gummadoon.” She sneered. “Not introducing me to your little ones and chasing them out so swiftly.” She dropped the knights and they found themselves locked to the ground. A binding spell? Or maybe an amended locking spell? She was doing this purposely. She turned on her heels, paraded towards the door, towards the opening that Toni had slipped out of. She stuck her head out of it briefly before pulling back in and stepping for the doorway proper. She paused, hand on the doorframe then turned and gave Gumlittle in particular a small smile, saying, “Now, I’ll have to introduce myself…personally.”


	53. Chapter 53

**_A Darkened Gummadoon Corridor_**  
The slow plodding shuffle which sounded unnatural was not Ivori's first clue that something bad was coming. No. She and Sir Gori could smell the necrotic aroma of rotting flesh. Even then, she'd have stood there and let herself be found out but it was Sir Gori who recognized the coming threat and pulled her into an alcove before the risen dead plodded by.

Clamping her hands tightly over her mouth to stifle any give-away cry, her eyes stinging from the stench and the horror, Sir Gori's stern hand stayed firm on her shoulder to stay her in place as the rotting corpse shuffled by. It didn't even have both feet, nor could they tell if it had been a lady or a gentlebear, but the poor undead was most definitely gummi. Despite the sagging flesh and sloughed-off gray-green fur, the lack of eyes and nose, the skin rotted clean away from mouth and muzzle, it was.  
It felt an eternity before the risen dead shambled off. But then Sir Gori was yanking her out of the alcove and pulling her along behind him. Such strength still from an old bear! She would have been amazed if she hadn't been terrified!  
  
  Reason began righting itself in her head as they ran. She thought more clearly. "The cubs!" she called out to Sir Gori.  
  
"I know, Lady Ivori. We shall find them." But he did not stop. Not until the foul stench and shambling march of two more undead  were found to block their path.  
  
Sir Gori held up his walking cane like a sword, settled into a battle stance. "You must run, Lady Ivori. And I will not take no for an answer. Go." He swung at them with his cane but he hadn't the strength of his youth to follow through with enough force to damage or even knock one away.   
  
They fell upon Sir Gori, grabbing at him and pulling him to the ground.  
  
The whole of it was horrible, true, but she would NOT abandon the old bear to be crushed or torn apart by mindless dead things!  
  
Lady Ivori grabbed the nearest vase -- one of many which lined the halls of Gummadoon on hip-height pedestals -- and hurled it at a zombie. It crashed into the thing, sent its head clean off and rolling down the hall. As that was the only weapon on hand and it shattered, she immediately started pulling at Sir Gori to get him to a stand, kicking the second ghoulish figure to force it to let go of him, and finally hauled the old retired knight to his feet.  
  
"NOW we can go." she told him, helping him hobble along.  
  
They only made it to the end of the hall.  
  
The first ghoul, drawn by the sounds of commotion, returned.  
  
Ivori looked at both avenues of escape, now blocked by a stinking undead gummi corpse a piece.  
  
Taking to his own feet and shrugging off her assist, Sir Gori said, "I'll take this one. When I do, you run past it and get out."  
  
"But... I can't--"  
  
"You can and you will leave me here. Your job is to go find those cubs, get them out safely?"  
  
Swallowing back any protests, she knew it would be their best chance.  
  
Sir Gori readied himself to rush the nearest oncoming ghoul.  
  
Lady Ivori readied to run past the thing.  
  
Just as Sir Gori launched himself forward, the mindless undead's head was severed clean off with a sharp sword.  
  
Lady Ivori gasped but not in shock. It was with extreme relief and that was the expression which settled on her face at the sight of Sir Ecri kicking the unmoving corpse over and gesturing for them to quickly follow him. If it hadn't seemed a bad time, she would have strangled him in a hug of gratitude. Instead, she just cheered in her head and hurried after the silent knight.  
  
"Have you seen the cubs?" Ecri asked, breaking his silence.  
  
"They're... exploring the old tunnels and passages. We had no idea an attack would come this soon or I'd never have let them leave, I swear."  
Sir Ecri ignored her guilt and said as they marched on down the hall, "It may turn out better this way. The halls are flooded with undead. It may also be their only option. Do you know the way?"  
  
Regrettably, neither did. Ivori and Gori shook their heads.   
  
Sir Ecri held his sigh. So be it. They jogged on, slowed at a corner. He peeked around it, saw nothing blocking the way, and they hurried down. The western courtyard may yet be free of the vile things. He veered near a window to look out, see if anything ghoulish ambled outside. Nothing. That would be their point of retreat, and where they could take any they found along the way. For now, he must get Lady Ivori and Sir Gori to safety.  
  
Unfortunately, the old retired knight winded easily and had to stop their rapid pace.  
  
"Go... Leave me a weapon... and go. I'll only slow you down and there may still be good for me to do here. You know I am right, Sir Ecri." And the old knight pinned the younger with a no-backtalk stare.  
  
Sir Ecri issued a quick nod, handed over his own sword, and pulled Lady Ivori along with him.  
  
"But... Sir Gori. And... Sir Ecri, where are we going?"  
  
"Western Courtyard. No undead there and if I can get you to safety--"  
  
"Get **me** to safety?" She blinked on the young knight in surprise as he towed her along. It wasn't a rough towing either. Honestly, she thought he was acting rather gallantly. And singling her out like that...  
  
"Of course. You... You're..." Sir Ecri was glad she couldn't see his face, he pulling her behind him, for a red tinge hit his cheeks unbidden. "Ahem... This way."  
  
  Truth be told, Ecri was feeling unquestionably energized and full of life. Amazing what could come from tragedy and horror. He just didn't want Lady Ivori to notice and think it had anything to do with her, even though he could not honestly say it didn't...  
  
Sir Ecri had just paused to pull an ornamental spear from the wall when two more undead stumbled across them and attacked. The weapon made quick work of them but had to be abandoned in favor of hauling paws down a few levels and making their way out of the castle proper.   
  
As they dashed by a string of windows, Lady Ivori called out, "Wait! I see them!"  
  
That put a halt to their flight.  
  
Sir Ecri followed her gaze out a window facing the western courtyard, he saw a group of cubs running as fast as they could, heading right to the forest. At first he thought it was Tavi but, squinting, he could see no glowy gold tint to the hair. It had to be Cubbi. The olive fur of Martinni stood out, as did the unmistakable coloration of Flynn, Morri, and Cori.

* * *

  
 __  
 **Western Courtyard, Gummadoon**  
"But," Martinni huffed at the pink-furred squire leading them. "why the heck... are we leaving??"  
  
All of them running full-tilt across the courtyard, Cubbi wasn't letting up. "Just... Trust me, okay? I was told to get outta Gummadoon an' after I ran inta you guys, I had to make sure you got out, too. And, heck, maybe we can see more from a safe distance and come up with a plan but I'm tellin' ya it isn't safe! So, just... c'mon!"  
  
"Co'vi..." Cori whined pitifully, looking back toward the castle proper as he was carried on Martinni's back.  
  
Martinni groaned irritable. Sometimes being the tallest of his age group was NOT fun. "Corvi told us to go look through the tunnels and we did, Cori. Now we're followin' Cubbi. Dunno where yet, but that's what we're doin' so no complainin', okay?" Better to sound like an adult and talk Cori out of whining than be a whiner himself. That was his thought process anyway.  
  
"No! NO!!"  
  
That yell, echoing through the courtyard, came from much higher up. It came from Blastus. They'd know that voice anywhere and yet... He sounded so scared! Cubbi paused their onward dash, glanced at Martin and Flynn. "Look, you guys go on ahead. Get these little kids to safety an' I'll meet up with ya in a minute. I gotta go see."  
  
"O-okay, Cubbi." Flynn took Morri's hand so he couldn't resist.  
  
Resist he did. "But I wanna help!"  
  
Cubbi sighed. "Look, I don't know what I'm gonna find over there. You gotta stay with your little brother and watch for Corvi. Maybe he'll come out the way we did, too, okay?"  
  
Flynn didn't give Morri a chance to argue. He'd already taken Cori from Martinni and they were off like a shot. Martin, however...  
  
"No way are you going alone." And he ran towards the yelling.  
  
Growling his own sigh, Cubbi chased after him.

* * *

  
    
**_Gummadoon Battlement, North Quadrant_**  
With devilish glee, Emi magically towed her captive knights mercilessly through hallways which scraped and up stairs which battered them as they could not move even a pinky. They were squished around corners and jostled until they finally emerged out into open air and the main castle parapet. The air hung moist and dank with the stench of earth and old death and settled the knights not a tick. It in fact put them further on edge, especially as Emi dragged them right to the edge. Oh, how they struggled and tried to kick or brace themselves before being thrown over but they could not move an inch.  
  
Chuckling at their vain efforts, Emi grinned. "Oh, you don't expect me to kill you THAT quickly, do you? After locking me away for nearly a thousand years? Come now. Your suffering must at least TRY to match my own. For example..."  
  
Yanking Sirs Plucki, Blastus, and Gumlittle to one of the crenels so they could view straight down, Emi smirked. "Just wait. I'm sure any moment now, your brat squires will be-- Ah, there, you see?" She could have pointed but there was no need. It was easy to see tall Corvi still holding onto Sunni's hand as they ran across the fields, dodging the emptied, hallowed graves of the cemetery where her new army had recently emerged.  
  
"So... Which shall it be, eh?" Emi sauntered over to the trio of knights. "The meddlesome Gummadoon teen or the meddlesome Gummi Glen teen? I owe so much to both warren and city. Perhaps I'll make you choose."  
  
Some of the undead which had followed them up to be of assistance had been buried wearing whatever befit their station. A few even bore weapons which they currently would not take up unless instructed individually to do so. Emi beckoned one near bearing a bow and quiver. She collected the archery implements and then eyed the three main knights. "Let's start off with you."  
  
Emi ripped Sir Blastus away from his brothers-in-arms and took complete control of his body, having him take up a stance to fire at one of the crenels. She put the bow in his hands, gave him an arrow, forced his body to knock it, pull back, take aim at Sunni.  
  
"No! NO!!" Sir Blastus yelled, for Emi left him control of his mouth if only to delight in hearing his soul break.  
  
"Stop this! Let him go!!" roared Gumlittle, still struggling against Emi's magic hold.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Outer Gummadoon_**  
Corvi froze in his tracks as the yells of his mentors filtered down from high above. Up, up his eyes searched until they caught sight of Sir Blastus at one of the battlement's crenels, Sir Plucki and Sir Gumlittle at another, and Emi at a third.  
  
It was the Glen girl who shouted at him. "He's pointing his arrow at you! RUN!" and she began tugging at him.  
  
A new voice joined in, calling out, "Guys! Wait up!"  
  
They turned, saw Toni racing toward them.

* * *

  
    
**_Gummadoon Halls_**  
Dashing up a back flight of stairs along the outside of the castle, she pushed her legs faster, sucked in air and told herself she could not be winded. She must get to him. She must find her son!

Karleni had known something was wrong, even before the chaos and shouting erupted. Call it a mother's instinct or paranoia after the horrors she'd already been through but she simply knew something was off. The problem was that she had no idea where her son might be! So she was searching, looking. He loved being outdoors so much... At least, she thought she remembered that's what he liked. Oh, how that witch had nearly destroyed her family, had damaged her relationship with her poor son! And now that Emi creature was loose, was here! She had to find Antonius. She had to!  
  
Screams from the battlements startled her briefly. Not just that they were screams but that they came from the mouths of Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle, and Sir Blastus.  
Karleni hurried to the top of the stairs, took the slim parapet walkway, rounded a tower and up another flight of outer wall stairs and there they were, and there was Emi. The knights were yelling frantically at her.  
  
"Take your revenge on us, witch!" Sir Plucki goaded Emi. "WE imprisoned you. WE caught you."  
  
Emi snorted derisively at Plucki but it did pause her action of forcing Sir Blastus. "Do you think I have learned nothing during my imprisonment? Better yet, I learned this during my initial siege on gummidom: You simpering bears value your children more than anything else, even your own lives. What better way to break you than to have you shoot your own children down." And she leaned over the edge, glancing at something far below.  
  
The talk of harming cubs, the fact that Sir Blastus had an arrow knocked and drawn...  
  
Karleni did not think beyond tearing forward as fast as she could. She rammed right into Sir Blastus, hoping not to harm him but hoping her force was enough. The arrow let fly, everyone watched as it hit not Corvi or Sunni but-- to Karleni's horror -- Toni. It just barely knicked the side of his head above his right ear but that was enough to knock the dark-blue-furred cub to the ground and out.  
  
Emi, her plan to break the knights thwarted, whirled on the intruder.  
  
Karleni was barely aware of Emi's fury as she was magically lifted into the air, floated over the parapet, and released to plummet to her death. Her last thought before the grisly impact was at least her son was spared the sight of her dying, and at least she'd done some good by him.  
  
The falling body, the crunch and squish as it hit the cobbles below, left the cubs froze.  
  
"Run, you guys!!" another panicked voice joined into the fray. Cubbi, along with Martinni, charged onto the scene. Cubbi and Martinni shouldered Toni's weight and all of them ran as fast as they could into the forest  
  
"No!!" shrieked Emi, immediately willing her undead army to follow. "To the Glen! That's where that pink brat will flee! Search the blasted place! Tear it down if you must but FIND those cubs!!"

* * *

  
_  
**Western Courtyard, Gummadoon** _

  
By the time he and Lady Ivori had reached the courtyard, a dozen or so shambling undead had taken it over. He had no choice but to hide himself and Lady Ivori, pressing themselves tight to the edge of a wall lest they be caught. Her rapid breath in his ear centered him, focused his mind. Patience. There will be a way. Patience... Something must have happened to draw them out. The mindless minions were heading into the forest, joined by countless other risen deceased. His eyes scanned the forest edge. He thought he caught a bit of brown fur with flickers of gold fur trailing behind through the trees... Flynn, Cori and Morri. But they had to be patient, let the undead move past. He knew he could not defeat them all and they were not headed toward those fleeing cubs. They were headed toward the north.

* * *

  
  
**_Western Lorath Woods_ **

  
It felt like they'd been travelling for two days. It was so hard to tell where they were going in all the fog but Sarrani clung to Sir Timothi's arm as they waded through the mist.   
  
Sensing her disquiet, Tim patted his fiance's arm. "I have excellent sense of direction. Don't worry. I'll get us back to Gummadoon."  
  
That last word was spoken as he stepped in a gopher hole, making him studder and jump an octave or two.  
  
Despite herself, Sarrani grinned. He was so cute when he was clumsy.

* * *

  
  
**_Lorath Woods_ **

  
Not very often did old Healer Huckleberri leave the comfort of his home to search for herbs and other medicinals growing in the nearby forest but, lately, there'd been less young folk around to do it for him and his back was giving him more issue than his knees so out he went, basket in hand.   
  
It was oddly quiet when he started out and the air smelled funny. At one point he thought he heard something far off but his ears sometimes played tricks on him in his advanced years. But not his eyes. Never that. At least not yet.  
  
So it was quite odd to catch sight of a collection of squires and a yellow gummi girl running by as fast as they could. Two of them were carrying a third and he recognized the lot of them instantly. Now, what would have them tearing off into the forest at this hour? Oh, he'd heard rumor of Emi but hadn't taken stock in it. Was it really that? Were they off pulling a prank or having fun? Well, only one way to find out.

* * *

  
**_North Lorath Woods_ **

  
Cubbi, heart racing but his legs starting to wear down after so little time to rest before immediately jumping into danger, had to stop. Yeah, he was tired, but also Toni was heavy! "Guys... I know we gotta keep moving. Can--"  
  
Corvi beat him to his thoughts and picked up the smaller Toni easily. "Where to? I... Well, since Gummadoon got refoundationed, I haven't had time to explore out here. This is your turf, Glens." He'd already been following Sunni who led them unburdened. Cubbi had been in the back with Martin, lugging the still-unconscious Toni. Corvi was secretly glad Toni was out of it. He didn't wanna be the one to tell him what happened to his mother, even if he was the oldest present...  
  
Sunni looked unsure but Cubbi spoke up confidently. "Well, we absolutely cannot go back to Gummi Glen but... I know a place where they can't find us. Follow me."

* * *

  
  
**_Lady Bane's Castle_ **

  
Lady Bane was uncharacteristically silent the whole trip to her castle, completely different than her pesterings on the way there when they were looking for old Emi information. Lucki figured she was either trying to conserve her strength to make a push for control of his body or she was biding her time to let a trap loose on them when they got inside. It was too much to hope for that the witch would just capitulate and let them return her to her body peacefully. With Lady Bane, it was always gonna be a fight.  
  
When they came to the raised drawbridge, Lucki looked to his sister before addressing the witch inside him. "Okay, how do we get in?"  
  
You can always do it the same way you did before. the human sorceress commented snidely.  
  
"How'd you guys get in before?"  
  
Lucki replied to his sister's query, "The hard way. What happens if we just walk in, Lady Bane? Can't you just yell at the troggles or give them a secret pass word to leave us alone?"  
  
Lady Bane snagged back the mouth to snap, "How ridiculous! If it isn't me, no one is allowed in. There are no exceptions, ever. My troggles know to disobey that command is to wind up being invited to the pot served for dinner."  
  
"Would you seriously eat your servants?" Lucki asked, disgusted and shocked.  
  
"I don't know. I might. Haven't had the chance to try one of the creatures yet. Who knows. They may taste delicious." It seemed very unlikely to her that such unrefined things would taste good at all but it made her smirk to suggest the notion to the horrified brat.  
  
Tavi, tired of their talking, tired of that witch inhabiting her brother's body, thought up a solution and willed it into being: a bridge made of glowing energy. "There. Let's cross."  
  
"And how do you propose we get **in** , little sorceress?" Lady Bane goaded, using her brother's voice.  
  
Gritting her teeth at the witch's jibe, Tavi stared at the smooth stones comprising the tall castle wall. She traced an arch with one finger, which immediately lit up with a gold light as if cut through. The wall section within that arch then pulled away and they had their entrance.  
  
Before Lady Bane could screech about her castle being maimed, Tavi replaced the section of wall. "See? Easy. Now, where's your body? I wanna get outta here and back as soon as we can."  
  
  The witch could only marvel at the power the young wizardess displayed after presumably no tutelage on the subject of magic. Such raw talent and power... She must find a way to seize it. She must delay, must get to her spell books, must try and possess the sister as quickly as she could. "This way. It should be the fastest route and avoid the most troggles."


	54. Chapter 54

__**Gummadoon Dungeon**  
  
“They got away, Blastus,” Gumlittle offered as a means of comfort. “It…it didn’t hit anywhere vital.”  
  
The French knight was not comforted in the least, burying his face into his hands. At least they could move now, though it was little relief. After Emi’s outburst, she had been quick to drag them away from the edge and down to their own dungeons. She was ranting and raving the whole way, gloating about how she was going to drag their children back here and kill them slowly and in the most painful way possible right in front of them. She reveled about how they would be so easy to track, that they would make stupid mistakes.  
  
She also made doubly sure to reiterate that while Blastus’ arrow had flown off course, it _had_ struck. Blastus had been silent ever since, just sitting on the ground, head in his hands. Despite how they wanted to, neither  Gumlittle nor Plucki could touch him. While they could talk to one another, if they tried to reach out, to touch one another, lay a hand for comfort, they would be magically blocked. It felt very similar to a locking spell though much smaller than most standard ones. She was purposely leaving them together but making it impossible for them to work together. All for her own amusement. It made Gumlittle sick. Blocking them from the very thing that made up most of their lives—the affection, the bond with one another.  
  
Cruel.  
  
She had left them to their own thoughts and rushed off, anger and frustration as she barked orders about ‘find those cubs!’ Oh, the horrible tone of that order. She made sure to give her demand to her undead horde while within their listening range: “Bring me back the heads of each and every one of those cubs. With or without their bodies.” They knew she meant it too. She had killed children before. Oh, they had waded through the mass of bodies she had left in her wake. She made no discrimination between adults and children. If she sent her horde after their children, they would not stop.  
  
They HAD to get out of here. They had to get out of here and get to the cubs before she did!  
  
It was quite clear that she had enchanted the locks on the cell doors. The shackles that would appear on their ankles and wrists if they moved too much was proof of magically enhanced security measures and it only seemed to chime up if they attempted to work at the doors to the cells. She was clever, that had not dulled with age. Foolish. They had been foolish. As soon as Lady Bane had no longer been required in their talks, they should have moved to a warded room. They should have…  
  
Gumlittle shook his head. Little good pondering the what ifs. Focus on the now.   
  
“Do you…” Blastus’ halting question was helpful at snapping him out of his thoughts, “Do you think they will go to the Glen, mes freres?” He couldn’t erase that image, that image of Toni falling forward and not rising again. He had not heard the telltale sound of arrow piercing flesh but all the same, seeing the cub fall, so suddenly and not get back up. He shuddered internally. He needed to know if the boy was alright. He had to know. Being stuck here, unable to help them, not able to guide them…that was the worst.   
  
Plucki was quiet but just for a moment and he shook his head “No. I doubt they will. Cubbi’s a smart lad. They’re _all_ smart lads. If anything, they’ll try to lead them away from the Glen.” Plucki had no doubt on this. Cubbi as well as the other boys were far wiser than their years. It wasn’t just his personal bias, it was the truth. He had learned long ago to set aside his personal opinions when assessing another fighter. It was something his title required. So, when he set aside his love of those boys, especially of Cubbi, he STILL had the utmost faith that they would know not to go to the Glen. “Where they’ll go, I can’t say but I know Cubbi well enough to know that he won’t go to the Glen. I doubt he’ll go to Dunwyn either.” He allowed a half-hearted smile though it hardly seemed appropriate “And if anyone knows a place to go in that forest, it will be Cubbi or Sunni.” Small favors…  
  
Blastus nodded; he had the same suspicion. Emi was underestimating their children and thank Gum for that small blessing. “Still, Emi’s army aside, there’s the matter of natural dangers, n’est-ce pas?” He didn’t want to bring it up but it was true. Not even Corvi was allowed to camp on his own yet. While the woods of Lorath were not the most dangerous of all forests, in fact they were far from it, the fact remained that at night, there were dangers there. Wolves for the most part, trolls, even some reports of a few goblins here and there. Not normally near Gummadoon but with that sorceress’ influence literally pouring out…Gum only knew what dark creatures were seeping out from the dark of Drekmore now that that sorceress’ aura was saturating everything. There were things that Blastus had seen in his life that crawled out of Drekmore that he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. Common legend stated the place was cursed and while no one had been able to prove that, he did not doubt it for a moment. Nor did he doubt the kind of nightmares that lurked in the mountains of that land or in the depths of its caverns. Emi or whatever essence was within her would draw dark creatures like a flame brought moths.  
And their cubs were potentially in the thick of it. With no aid, no weapons, no sanctuary. Without them there to provide protection.  
  
“Where will they go?” Blastus said aloud. “Where is there for them to go where she won’t follow?”  
  
Only the echoing, dank silence of the dungeon answered him.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lorath Woods_**  
  
The running through the woods was swift and there was little care paid to the noise they were making. Stealth was not most important right now. Speed was. They needed to put as much distance between Gummadoon and themselves as they could. Cubbi and Sunni seemed fairly calm but that was to be expected. They had grown up in this forest. For the cubs from Gummadoon, the most they had seen of this forest had been before the fleeing of Gummadoon into the time stream which meant only Corvi and Martinni had any memory of it and forests, land, landmarks, they all changed dramatically in as little as a year, let alone 500 years! Granted, they had spent a few hours doing tracking in the woods a few days prior (how things had changed and so quickly!) but this was different.  
  
“C’mon, can’t slow down now!” Cubbi advised, leading the way through some underbrush. His group of comrades followed, though he could hear their labored breathing. That wasn’t a surprise. They’d been running for some time and it had been full speed for most of it. They had to keep going though. The hideout Cubbi had in mind was only a little ways ahead and he really hoped that it would work. It was the best hidden spot he could think of. It was a ways away from Gummadoon but a ways away from the Glen too. He hated this running but what else could they do? If Aldi hadn’t warned him…  
  
Cubbi was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly leapt out of his skin when Corvi suddenly grabbed his shoulder and said “Wait.”  
  
Or, least, he had thought it was Corvi until he heard that very feminine voice. Confused, he stared at Sunni, “Sunni what…”  
  
“No,” Corvi agreed. “Hush and listen.”  
  
Cubbi blinked and exchanged a glance with Martinni and Flynn. They just expressed the same dumbfounded look but kept quiet as the two oldest members of their group commanded. Sure enough, they heard the faint rustle. It wasn’t that loud but definitely indicated someone moving towards them, though not too quickly. Swell, had they been followed and tracked this far out? What good would it do to hide if they were just going to be tracked right into their hiding spot? Panic began to rise in Martinni’s chest but to his credit, he didn’t verbalize the yell he wanted to. Cori and Morri stared at the older cubs, with Morri pulling his youngest brother close to his side.   
  
Gently handing Toni to Martinni, the eldest faced their surroundings with narrowed eyes. “Back,” Corvi said simply and withdrew the knife that he had never given back to Blastus from his belt. Some of his blond hair was still wrapped around the hilt. He shook it once and brandished it, fully ready to deliver a death blow like he’d been coached if he had to. He kept his face held high and positioned himself in front of his brothers and the younger ones. For all his courage, he felt his stomach fall like a stone. He was trained, yes, but he wasn’t weapon trained, not yet (despite how he’d pleaded with Blastus on his last birthday to start that with him) and while Blastus had given him a super-short overview before he had run to the Glen, he just had a knife! What would a knife do against a sword or a spear? Knives were good against those that were unarmed but…  
  
 _No!_ He scolded himself. _Panic is the last thing to do in a survival situation. It only gets people killed!_ He narrowed his eyes. _C’mon, Corvi, focus! Blastus has pounded that into your head for years. Use it!_  
  
A deep breath steadied his hand. No matter what he desired, circumstances were what they were. He was the eldest, he was the best trained out of the bunch. What came through those bushes… nothing was touching these cubs unless it plowed through him first!  
  
Sunni mimicked Corvi’s stance, pulling the larger of the knives from her belt. She had seen Buddi train, she had practiced some. She remembered all too well Buddi correcting her stance and her grip several times but it was something else altogether to think you would actually need to use it! Her heart was pounding so hard, she could feel it in her ears. Shifting backwards a little, she let her eyes take in the cubs behind her. Not just Cubbi but all the others, standing there, baffled, confused and frightened but standing firm all the same. A surge of energy and courage took her heart and a sense of purpose she was not used to feeling.   
  
She flexed her wrist, stood waiting—  
  
The bushes parted and Healer Huckleberri nearly screamed when he was greeted with two cubs with drawn knives, dropping his basket and throwing his hands up in a non-threatening gesture. It was quite a shock to his old system and he dropped his cane in the process.  
  
Corvi deflated, arm falling.  
  
Sunni let out a deep sigh of relief.  
  
Martinni accused “Gum, don’t DO that!” with one hand to his heaving chest and Flynn put his hands on his thighs and exhaled loudly.  
  
Cubbi narrowed his eyes, keeping his wary stance. He certainly recognized Huckleberri but with all the possession and tricks and stuff going on, how could they be sure? He crept closer, slipping between Sunni and Corvi and accusing, “Are you really Huckleberri?”   
  
Corvi, catching on quickly to Cubbi’s concern, took on a protective stance again, “Excellent question.” He raised his knife again, pointing accusatorily. “Prove it.”   
  
As for poor Huckleberri, he was even more confused than ever. First, since when did any of their cubs carry weapons, even small ones like knives? The knights would livid when they became aware! Weapons training was required before cubs were issued a weapon and he was pretty certain that young Sunni’s family was not aware of her acquisition of a blade, not from what little he knew of them. He was fairly certain the Glen Patriarch would be against it and yet here she was, wielding one quite effectively.   
  
Secondly, what happened to them? Corvi’s hair was cut at a horrible angle, with his left side being about three inches shorter than the right as if it were sliced at an angle, Martinni was cradling a hurt Toni who had a nasty cut on his temple and was unconscious, Flynn looked petrified and young Corvi’s little brothers were clinging to one another like their lives depended on it. All of them looked like they had been running without pause for quite some time. With the looks of fear and distress painted over their faces, he was more determined than ever to find out what was going on but that would require winning their trust apparently.  
  
“I do not know what had spurred such fear in you, lads” he began “But I assure you that it is me.” He knelt, both to gather his cane and to see if the lack of height might calm their hearts a bit. It seemed to ease the youngest ones but Cubbi and Corvi would not relent and still regarded him with caution and fear. He addressed them directly “Young Corvi…what prompts this fear? I am the same Huckleberri you have always known.”  
  
Corvi narrowed his eyes farther until they were mere slits and did not falter as Cubbi spoke out “But you might be possessed.”  
  
“Possessed?!” Huckleberri nearly fell over “What in Gum’s name…”  
  
Flynn cut in “Where have you been, Healer Huckleberri?” He wanted to believe it really was Huckleberri, please…an adult! “Haven’t you heard about Emi?”  
  
The healer frowned, deeply, looking over the group “So it is not rumor?” He had heard the stories circulating though he had tried to ignore them. After Emi had been imprisoned, he thought it might help the cubs get over their fear by retelling some of the milder stories of her evildoing -- both as a teaching lesson and as a way to show that such evil, no matter the source, could be dealt with. He admitted he'd taken some delight in scaring them but never to the point that it cost them sleep at night. He was far from a prankster age by the time she'd been captured but humor had always been his go-to coping mechanism. Now though, while he had thought the recent tales had been cubs taking to such stories of evil once more -- albeit with some embellishment -- it appeared he had assumed falsely. He never imagined that they could be true once more. No, he had not WANTED them to be true. However, it was quite apparent by the cubs in front of hi9m that this was no mere rumor. Not counting the true panic and terror in their eyes, the fact that they were so far away from the grounds of Gummadoon proper, let alone the castle, meant something much more dire and much more real. And, while Corvi was young, he was a rational lad and would not be on some escapade without a reason behind it. Not with his little brothers in tow.  
  
“it’s real,” Cubbi insisted, his  eyes still trailing Huckleberri for any sign. But possession was so hard to figure out. It looked and sounded like Huckleberri but how could you be sure? Cubbi racked his brain a moment, thinking. Well, there was always asking him things but wouldn’t, if he was possessed, wouldn’t whoever was possessing him be able to answer? Well, maybe not. Cubbi could remember being able to block Zorlock from his most private thoughts, much as it made him shudder to think like that. “So tell us something really small that only you or Corvi would know.” He demanded, folding his arms.  
  
Corvi blinked in surprise at Cubbi but then…yes, he supposed he did make sense. He was the eldest of their group. He had been among Gummadoonians the longest. And Cubbi had been possessed before. He would know what to use, wouldn’t he? With no other expert, they would have to run with it. Much as they still were learning about one another, Corvi had yet to meet a cub with more tenacity than this pink furred cub and his loyalty towards them, towards the knights, towards Plucki was to be admired. He would trust him.   
  
Corvi set his sights on Healer Huckleberri, weapon still at ready, ignoring the little voice in his head that was screaming that holding an esteemed elder at knife-point was grounds for the most horrendous punishment imaginable. This was a completely different scenario! “Healer Huckleberri…if you please…”  
  
The elder frowned; this was most unorthodox and he normally was not one for baring pieces of your soul but for the purpose of comforting their nerves, he relented. “Alright, children. Corvi, your grandmother… Corvi, I’m sure Cressi told you about her crush on me, misinterpreting an interaction we had.” The Healer smiled “I believe she was ten when she asked me out for a date which I politely declined. It humiliated her but she learned a good lesson about making sure communication is clear and not make assumptions.”   
  
Corvi knew that story. His mother had told him once when he was about Morri’s age, joked that he might have ended up with Healer Huckleberri for a grandfather but she had also stressed the lesson his grandmother Jacei had learned-- communication might mean the difference between death and life. Ironic…if he had taken her words to heart and told Blastus about his mother when it first happened…no, no time to focus on that. Focus on the now. Corvi did know the story that Huckleberri mentioned. His mother had told him the story of his grandmother’s infatuation a few times; he had the feeling she was deeply amused by it.  
  
Cori giggled, throwing his hands over his mouth. Morri bit his lower lip to contain a chuckle though man, it felt good to be able to laugh again. He’d never heard this story! Corvi would have to tell them more later!  
  
Looking to Cubbi, Corvi reported “I believe him.” He hoped that his guess was right but this wasn’t a story that would lingering near the front of the mind. You would need to dig to find it. Plus, Corvi found that as respected as Huckleberri was, he probably would not provide much advantage to the enemy, given his age and position. While healers were indeed revered, Huckleberri was retired; it would make more sense to possess Sarrika if you were going to take a healer. So, he gave Cubbi a firm nod in addition to his statement.  
  
That was enough for Cubbi. Falling back into survival mode, he stated, “Lotsa stuff is going on Healer Huckleberri but we gotta hide and regroup first.” He looked over to Toni in Martinni’s arms, “Maybe you could check Toni for us, too?” Cubbi knew so little about injuries now that he thought about it. He knew enough to put pressure on wounds and with Toni, he’d known to elevate his arms (That’s what Sarrika had called it, right?) but head injuries and other things, he really had no knowledge. The fact that Toni hadn’t woken up yet bothered him immensely.   
  
The old healer finally took note of the unconscious child and while he wanted to demand answers, the cautious, the fear in the group was impossible to ignore. They were practically in sprint-mode as it was. It would do no good to tend to the hurt child here if they were expecting to have to take off again and he truthfully did not like the thought of just sitting in a forest and  tending to wounds, unless they were life-threatening. A quick look over of Toni eliminated that possibility.   
  
“Lead on, children.” The old healer said simply.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lady Bane’s Palace_**  
  
Lucki was uneasy.  
  
Lady Bane had been quiet. Way too quiet. Lucki had grown accustomed to hearing her rant, rave or plan but she was being silent. As they made their way through the empty corridors, he couldn’t sense anything from her. Her spirit was still, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. That in itself was conspicuous. That, plus the fact that while it had been subtle, he was catching the way she would watch intently whenever Tavi performed magic. He was not a fool, far from it. His sister had always been gifted in magic, it was a family trait but Lucki knew as well as anyone knew that the difference between his sister’s skill now and before he had died was astronomical. Lady Bane knew it too.  
  
Lucki didn’t like it.  
  
“This way?” Tavi’s voice broke him out of his melancholy and worried thoughts. She was pointing down a corridor that led into the upper levels of the palace. Clean and neat, as were all the halls around here but there was definitely a foreboding essence to it.  He felt for Lady Bane, felt some hesitation on her part which was enough for him. He gave his sister a simple nod and forced his feet forward. It was nice to be in control again though. While Lady Bane could certainly fight him for control, she was doing it less and less. She had faded from feeling like an overwhelming ocean on his spirit to the sprinkle of rain. He welcomed it.  
  
 _Not this way,_ she hissed suddenly, breaking into his concentration.  
  
Lucki frowned, both physically and metaphysically, paused in his step. _Why?_  
  
 _This is MY home, you whelp!_ She snarled, her frustration not being hidden in the least. _If you want to…_  
  
 _Except that’s not why you’re protesting._ Lucki shot back. He was stumbling a little bit. It was hard to coordinate everything while you were fighting with a crazed woman inside your head. Tavi kept looking over her shoulder at him but she had yet to say anything.   
  
_You paused before you said anything. What are you hiding?_  
  
The sorceress was silent.  
  
Lucki cursed under his breath and Tavi did stop that time. She approached, lay her hands on her brother’s forearm. Her eyes were bloodshot and yet she pushed onward. She had to be so tired, so exhausted and yet she refused to relent. It shouldn’t have surprised Lucki. He had known Tavi her whole life and there was not one second where she didn’t possess their mom’s stubbornness. It was really showing itself here. Despite her worn body, she showed nothing but concern in her eyes. Lucki gave her a half smile in response.  
  
“I’m fine, Tavi.” He assured her. “Just this ol’ witch is hiding something and I don’t like it.”  
  
Tavi narrowed her eyes. “Don’t try anything funny, Lady. We can do a lot more than you think we can.”  
  
Lady Bane’s spirit bristled. The indignant little twerp. Oh, she would show them all right. She would show them who was powerful…she would SHOW them who was to be feared! She would be a puppet no longer. The silly gummi girl was making this so easy. So close. Spirit hopping was difficult but once she had the girl, she could be rid of this annoying boy child and once she got her hands on her books, with this kind of power…oh, yes, it would sweet! They would grovel,  they would weep!  
  
She locked her sights on the girl, sought out her soul, her weakened reserves. Spirit hopping, especially for a human soul required precise concentration but the girl had physical contact with her! It would be simple and …  
  
Her joy went dark as she tried to concentrate on the girl only to be stopped cold. The voice from her host body was cold as ice and legitimacy made her tremble.  
  
 _No. You are not touching my sister. YOU. DON’T. TOUCH. HER!!_  
  
 _You’re hardly in a position to stop me._ She threatened, pushing aside the fear (no, it was NOT fear) he had ignited in her, with a little sneer. What was he planning on doing? They were both stuck in the same body. Was he truly planning on fighting her tooth and nail the entire time? Even his gumption would eventually die. _We both benefit._ She truly enjoyed twisting it around that way. She was so close to her spells she could feel the electricity in her fingertips and with that girl at her disposal, what would she have to fear?!   _You’ll have your pathetic body back and I’ll be rid of you. Perhaps your sister will prove more cooperative now that Mother has broken her a little. If not…_  
  
She was not prepared for the sudden thrust of power and strength from all around her. Not like before. This was worse than before. Before, she had felt like she had been pushed up against a wall but now, she felt as if the gummi boy was trying to strangle her! She fought back, her concentration on the gummi sorceress child broken. How was the brat this strong?! It made no sense! He couldn’t possibly be this strong! It was impossible!   
She fought back but then there was a surge of pain, immense pain, ripping pain and light and…  
  
 ** _GET OUT!_**  
  


* * *

  
  
Tavi knelt, putting her hands on her brother’s shoulders as he fell to his knees. “Lucki!” She demanded, tears in her eyes, “What’s wrong?!”  
  
He was fighting an internal battle, she could see that but beyond that, she was utterly clueless. His face was deeply contorted, not a look she really saw on him much, not even when he had become injured during training before. Her heart began to throb inside her ribs. What was happening? Was it his body? Was it breaking down, as they were warned? It didn’t look like it and he had even alluded to the fact that it may not be as fragile as it was before; it was certainly holding up pretty well. That left her only with Lady Bane as the probable cause.  
  
“Lady Bane!” She hissed “You leave my brother alone! We’re gonna get you to your stupid body and then we don’t hafta ever  talk again, okay? You stop pestering my brother!”  
  
Her ongoing tirade was cut off abruptly when her brother screeched, “GET OUT!”  
  
There was a flash of intense light that seemed to engulf her brother and then it seemed to pop out of his body and land a few meters away in a fumbled mess. Tavi stared, her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. The nearly blinding light seemed to take a form, a humanoid form. It stirred, seemed to sit up and yes…Gum, it was Lady Bane! Transparent, flickering and utterly petrified but it was her! Her spirit! Lucki had thrown her out? Could he do that?!   
  
It seemed so. The sorceress’ spirit was flickering. Without a link to the earth plane in a body, her human spirit was swiftly being called to the beyond, whatever that meant for her. Her eyes flashed to Lucki’s, met his exhausted and lethal gaze.  
  
“Never…EVER…threaten her.”

* * *

  
  
 ** _Gummadoon Dungeon_**  
  
Emi had returned to them every so often, each time with more news. News that she was pulling gummies from their homes, news that she was ripping Gummadoon apart seeking out any hiders, news that her horde was moving swiftly in all directions.   
  
Yet, she had not come with news of their cubs’ capture. It was a light to their hearts. Somehow or another, their cubs were still free! Plucki would have been bursting with pride over their resourcefulness if fear didn’t still rule his mind. Emi was a devious one and she had not lightened any over the years. They could hear the commotion as they literally tore apart quarters, they could hear the pandemonium as citizens screamed and tried to flee. Yet they were helpless to do anything about it.   
  
“Sir Plucki.”  
  
There she was again, that dark, sinister voice. He shifted his gaze as she materialized in front of him, smiling. It was never a pleasant smile, always a twisted and dark gaze. This time though, she was not alone. She held Sir Fai close at hand, meeting the Captain’s eyes. The knight was slightly younger than most, yellow furred and he looked quite beaten up, as if he had been in quite the battle. He did not doubt he had. The remaining knights would certainly be putting up as much resistance as they could!  
  
“You really should have taught your knights more respect. Truly…hitting a bearess…” Emi made a tsk sound with her tongue, shaking her head with pity.  
  
Sir Fai snarled “You are no bearess.”   
  
Gumlittle stood and addressed her. “Emi, there’s no need for this…”  
  
“Oh but there is.” She interrupted the second in command. She shifted her eyes to Sir Fai. “See, is not Sir Fai here your resident scouter? He has been exploring Lorath Wood since you have returned. Quick on his feet I recall several of you saying.” She smirked, “I hear quite a bit from my prison.” She shifted, released the knight so he was standing in front of her. “So, he seemed a natural candidate to seek out those poor lost children, right?” She pursed her lips and put on a false pouty face.  
  
Sir Fai’s eyes narrowed into mere slits. “If you think I am helping you, you are truly demented.”  
  
Heaving a deep sigh, as if full of regret, she paced, her long black hair fluttering behind her like a cape. “Oh, why must you all be so difficult…” She raised a hand to the knight, her palms illuminated. “Surely, you will reconsider?”  
  
Sir Fai’s only response was to raise his head and for a moment, he met Sir Plucki, Sir Gumlittle and Sir Blastus’ eyes. There were no words exchanged, just a simple nod from Sir Fai and a clasped fist over his heart. The gesture said it all— _It has been an honor._  
  
“No.” Fai spat.  
  
Plucki was fairly certain the bear’s heart had stopped before he even hit the ground.

* * *

  
  
 ** _Lorath Forest_**  
  
“Wow…” Martinni looked around at the little hideaway that Cubbi had led them to. “How did you find this place again?”  
  
Cubbi sat down, still sticking as close to Toni and Corvi as he could. “Tummi and I were running away from some ogres and found the waterfall entrance.” He pointed to the cascading wall of white and blue. “Didn’t take us too long to find the other exits and entrances. Think the knights ever used this place?”  
  
Huckleberri gave a light chuckle as he gently tended to young Toni. “Perhaps. Perhaps not, my boy. There used to be quite a few other gummi cities, so many years ago. They gradually dwindled away, until only the strongest and largest remained. Several of them merged _into_ Gummadoon.” He caught Cubbi’s amazed look and added “But when all this is said and done, why don’t you bring Plucki here and ask him?”  
  
That thought invaded Cubbi’s thoughts for a moment. Oh, would there be a time when they could do that again? Oh, the things he would ask Plucki. The Captain has shown him so much and man, wouldn’t it be nice to show him something in return? It was an intoxicating desire but he had to ponder, if only a moment, if it would ever come to pass. Would they…could they…  
  
No! Stay positive!  
  
Cubbi eyed the healer, “Is…Toni okay?” He felt Sunni’s hand on his shoulder and was immensely grateful for it.   
  
Huckleberri nodded “he will recover. He has a nasty blow to the head but he should awaken soon.”  
  
The group let out a deep sigh of relief but that was nearly destroyed by noise in the forest above. Instantly, hearts turned to ice. Had they been trailed? Followed?  
  
Corvi stood, “I’ll go see.”  
  
Morri leapt up “But Corv…”  
  
“I’ll go.” Corvi insisted again. “Morri, you keep Cori calm.”  
  
Flynn bit his lower lip and locked eyes on their eldest “But Corvi, what if it’s…”  
  
“That’s why I’m going, Flynn,” the teen responded, feeling quite exhausted, both physically and emotionally. But he was  oldest of their group. It was his job to stay calm and to act. Besides, he was one of the few with a weapon. Sunni had one but he had the superior physical strength. It fell on him.   
  
Sunni joined his side “I’m coming too, Corvi. Two is one and one is none.” She insisted.  
Sensing that arguing with her would be fruitless, if Cubbi’s stories were to be believed, the teenager only nodded and slowly took the stairs upward. Sunni trailed behind, trying to shift to the palms of her feet to keep as quiet as possible. Her heart tightened in her chest but there was no time to be frightened. Her sweat-drenched grip on the blade hilt tightened and while she doubted it could do a lot of good, she felt significantly better having _something_ to defend herself with as opposed to nothing. All the same, she wished that Buddi was here.  
  
Corvi’s raised hand stopped her trek.  
“Corvi?” She whispered.  
  
He shushed her, “Stay back. I don’t see anything yet but I don’t want to give away both of us.” She nodded to the logic of that and slunk back into the underbrush.  
  
Corvi’s heart was racing as he paced, his ears perked up. He could hear a lot of things but one was definitely footsteps…no, two sets of footsteps. He slowly brought his knife to attack position…  
  
“Behind you, Corvi!” came Sunni’s shouted warning.  
  
He whirled around, struck out without waiting any further and heard the familiar twang of metal hitting metal.  
  
Found himself staring face to face with a very familiar face.  
  
“Sir Ecri!”


End file.
